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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



OFF TO JERUSALEM 



BY 

MARIE AGNES BENZIGER 




New York, Cincinnati, Chicago 

BENZIGER BROTHERS 

PRINTERS TO THE HOLY APOSTOLIC SEE 
1906 



OCT 6 1906 



oum A 



you 



1)5 108 



Copyright, 1906, by BENZIGER BROTHERS. 



preface 



At the request of my dear father, who accom- 
panied me on this journey, and full of gratitude 
to both my dear parents, to whom I owe this great 
happiness, I undertake to write the description 
of this pilgrimage. The happy circumstance that 
my father and I were able to make this pilgrim- 
age together, to visit together the holy places, and 
to have therefore the same interests, the same 
pleasant memories, makes this journey especially 
dear to me. So may my description not only 
recall happy memories, but be at the same time 
dedicated to my dear parents as a modest tribute 
of my love and gratitude towards them. 

When these papers were written I had no idea 
that they would ever appear in print; and must 
therefore entreat the kindly indulgence of my 
readers for the shortcomings certain to appear 
in pages intended only for perusal by eyes eager 
to find matter of interest, and very slow to perceive 
defects. 

3 



Contents 



PAGE 

Preface 5 

The Farewell. — Journey to Feldkirch . . 7 

Feldkirch 8 

Arrival of the Pilgrims . . . . 9 

In the Railway Cars . . . . .12 
Trieste. — We go on Board. — First Day at Sea 15 
A Little Excursion to Corfu. ... 23 
Landing at Jaffa. — Journey to and Arrival 

at the Holy City of Jerusalem . . .31 
History and Description of Jerusalem . .46 
Climate and Vegetation. .... 56 
High Mass and Sermon in th: 1 Church of the 

Holy Sepulcher ...... 59 

St. Ann's Church— The Pool of Bethsaida.— 

The Cave of Jeremias . . . .61 

The Stations of the Cross ... 66 
Ecce Homo and St. Stephen's Church . . 74 

The Mount of Olives 75 

Mount Sion — The Cenacle .... 89 
St. John in the Mountains . . . .100 
5 



6 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Church and Convent of San Salvator . . 109 
The Wailing Place or Wall of Lamentation . 112 
Street Life in Jerusalem . . . . .115 
The Valley of Ennom and Cedron . . . 120 
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher . . . 127 
Service in the Church of the Latin Patriarch 150 
The Mosque of Omar . . . . .151 
The Mosque of el-Aksa . . . . . 158 

Bethlehem 163 

History and Description of Bethlehem . . 166 
History and Description of the Church and 

Grotto of the Nativity 170 

Other Grottoes— The Milk Grotto— The Shep- 
herds' Field 179 

Last Day in Jerusalem.™ Service in the San 

Salvator Church 182 

Departure from Jerusalem.— Journey to Jaffa. 
— Embarking . . . . . .186 

Arrival at Trieste. — Homeward Journey . .195 
Arrival at Einsiedeln— The End . . 203 



<&ft to Jerusalem 



Gfyt jfatxtorii— Mourner to jMaktrcti 

August 30, 1903. — It had been arranged that 
the meeting of the pilgrims should take place 
on August 31, but my father and I were unable 
to restrain our impatience and set " off to Jerusa- 
lem" on the 30th. Before starting we paid an 
early visit to Our Ladv of Einsiedem, assisted at 
Mass in her sanctuary, and took leave of the 
Blessed Mother after commending ourselves to 
her guidance and protection. Then, accom- 
panied by all the members of the family, we made 
our way to the railway station. I need not de- 
scribe our farewells. If adieu is not a pleasant 
word to utter, although it ought to be a consol- 
ing one, there is less bitterness in au revoir. A 
long and fatiguing journey lay before us, but 
pilgrims have an especial claim to the protection 
of God. Trusting to His care, we separated with 
light hearts, each party calling gaily to the other 
"au revoir!" Our first halt, of an hour and a 
7 



8 



FELDKIRCH 



half, was made at Wadensweil, where we visited 
the Catholic church and assisted at High Mass. 

At 11 A. M. we took the train again, and speed- 
ing by express over hill and dale, arrived after a 
delightful journey at Feldkirch. The good town 
already looked like the rendezvous for a pilgrim- 
age. The Committee of Management for the 
expedition had established itself in the Vorarlber- 
ger Hotel, whence the Jerusalem flag waved a 
friendly greeting as we passed on to the Hotel 
Baren. Here rooms had been provided for us, 
and having paid them a visit, and seen that our 
baggage was safely bestowed, we went into the 
town to call upon the Rev. Dr. Hausele, a former 
fellow-student of my father's at the Jesuit college 
Stella Matutina, and an eager naturalist. We 
found him at the Antoniushaus, and under his 
guidance undertook an exploring expedition 
which neither of us will ever forget. Our way 
lay through a forest, and the road became steeper 
and more muddy at every step. Tester's castle 
was stormed and taken, and really our amiable 



ARRIVAL OF THE PILGRIMS 9 



host can boast of a magnificent view. At the end 
of the ramble we were thoroughly tired, and felt 
that our supper by moonlight in the garden of the 
hotel had been well earned. After writing a few 
postal-cards we were glad to retire to our beds, in 
order to recruit our strength for the morrow. 

arrtbal of tye pilgrims 

August Slst. — We were awakened early by the 
bells of the Franciscan church close by, and after 
assisting at Mass, turned our steps toward the 
Jesuit college Stella Matutina, where my father 
hoped to meet some of his old fellow-students who 
are now priests. This hope was doomed to dis- 
appointment, but we were kindly received by the 
Father Minister. Ah, if only our dear Father 
Lbffler had been there to welcome us! But he 
blesses our journey from heaven. After a short 
stay we walked to the Maria Griin, and over the 
fine estate of Herr Tschavol. The house of re- 
treat, and the summer villa, Karina, of the Jesuit 
Fathers were to be inspected only from without. 
However, I have seen Feldkirch on all sides. 
My father's four kodaks were our faithful com- 



10 ARRIVAL OF THE PILGRIMS 



pardons throughout our wanderings, so that we 
were able to carry home representations at least 
of the beautiful and interesting places we visited. 
It is scarcely necessary to say that with so much to 
do and to see the time passed rapidly enough. 

At 2 P. M. we walked to the station to meet the 
pilgrims coming from Buchs. Colonel von Him- 
mel, accompanied by the members of the com- 
mittee, whose business it was to indicate to each 
pilgrim his lodging for the night, and to look after 
the baggage, was already at his post. There was 
a lively stir of bustle and greeting as the passen- 
gers streamed out of the train, and it was both 
interesting and amusing to watch the different 
faces, all so happy and expectant. But a crowded 
railway station is not precisely the place for a pro- 
longed study of human nature, which may be 
indulged in more conveniently, perhaps, on the 
boat. We saw His Lordship the Bishop of Basle 
arrive among the pilgrims, but the crush was 
great and we returned at once to the town. 

The pilgrims went off in parties to seek their 
various hotels. Some among them had already 
donned the dust cloaks of white linen and the hats 



ARRIVAL OF THE PILGRIMS 11 



decorated with long white veils which were to dis- 
tinguish us, as hat, staff, and scallop-shell dis- 
tinguished the pilgrims of old. Naturally enough 
they were followed in their progress through the 
street by the curious gaze of the interested in- 
habitants of Feldkirch. At 5.30 P. M. there 
was a general assembly in the gardens of the 
Hotel Baren, where red and white bands, each 
bearing the appointed number of a pilgrim, and 
pilgrim flasks, were distributed. The bands were 
at once put on, and we felt like real pilgrims 
immediately. At supper I made the acquaintance 
of two ladies, the Misses von Werra, with whom 
I was to share a cabin when we went on board, 
and we there and then became very good friends. 
There was no difficulty in learning the names of 
our fellow travelers, as in order to do so we had 
only to compare the number inscribed on the 
band worn by each person with that entered on 
the list of pilgrims. This afforded an amusing 
occupation, particularly on board the vessel. In 
the evening my father and I filled our flasks with 
lemon juice, where with we intended to quench our 
thirst. But the contents of my flask did not seem 



1-2 



IN THE RAILWAY CARS 



to grow less, and I had to carry it filled till our 
embarkation. I was glad when we went on board 
to leave my flask in the cabin, for our relations 
were the reverse of friendly. 

3T;n t\)t Uatltoa^ Cars 

Sept. 1st. — We rose at 5.30 A. M. and assisted 
at the pilgrims' Mass celebrated by His Lordship 
the auxiliary Bishop in the parish church of Feld- 
kirch. The organ was well played, and a joyful 
surprise was reserved for at least one of the wor- 
shipers in the enthusiastic rendering by a well 
trained choir of our own beloved and familiar 
hymns to the Sacred Heart. The sound of these 
hymns brought back old memories of the church 
at Riedenburg, where I had so often sung them 
with my companions in our school-days. 

After Mass we all joined in the recital of the 
Itinerarium, the Procedamus in pace was fervently 
and solemnly pronounced, and with these words 
still ringing in our ears we set forth on our pil- 
grimage to the Holy Land. 

Arranged in five divisions, of which His Lord- 
ship the Bishop of Basle and the priests who were 



IN THE RAILWAY CARS 13 



to accompany us formed the center, we walked in 
procession to the station, reciting the Rosary as 
we went. The bells played an accompaniment 
with their merry peals, and the good people of 
Feldkirch lining the streets on either side waved 
and shouted farewells. At the station we found 
our baggage arranged in long rows on the plat- 
form, and the special train already awaiting our 
arrival. Thanks to the painstaking good man- 
agement of Colonel von Himmel very little time 
was lost in finding our places, for the number 
allotted to each pilgrim was pasted on the window 
of the carriage he was to occupy. We speedily 
settled ourselves comfortably, and started with 
glad hearts amid the waving of hats and hand- 
kerchiefs and the loud cheering of the inhabitants 
of Feldkirch. 

It would not be easy to describe the pleasure 
wherewith we looked out upon the beautiful 
country through which we were being only too 
rapidly borne. The cloudless sky, the brilliant 
sunshine, the smiling valleys, all were in delightful 
harmony with our own feelings. New scenery, 
new views arose before me. Presently we as- 



14 IN THE RAILWAY CARS 



cended the Arlberg, and passing through the tun- 
nel, entered the Tyrol. Here the many little 
churches and wayside crosses to be met with at 
every turn added a new charm to the landscape, 
and bore silent witness to the piety which has ever 
been a distinguishing characteristic of the good 
Tyrolese. Former pilgrims to Jerusalem awaited 
us with kindly greetings at nearly every station; 
in several villages guns were fired in our honor, 
and flags floated gaily in the breeze; the people 
everywhere wished us Godspeed. 

It is unnecessary to describe a country about 
which so much has been written by abler pens 
than mine, and which is so beautiful that any at- 
tempt made by me to do justice to its loveliness 
must be in vain. I will only say, therefore, that 
our journey was perfect in every respect. We 
dined at Innsbruck, surrounded by the Tyrolese 
mountains, whose majesty adds so much to the 
picturesque aspect of this interesting town. Con- 
tinuing our journey we saluted Mount Isel, whose 
summit, crowned with the monument to Andreas 
Hofer, looks proudly down on the Tyrol. At 
about 2 P. M. we ascended the Brenner, and 



TRIESTE 



15 



halted at Franzensfeste, where the members of 
the family of Colonel von Himmel came to bid 
him farewell. At 7 P. M. we arrived at Lienz, 
after passing the Puster Thai and admiring 
the Dolomiten at Toblaeh. Our stay of twenty 
minutes here was enlivened by the strains of a 
fine band playing the songs of the fatherland by 
torchlight, while we were busied in procuring 
water, — laughing, cheering and being cheered, 
and refreshing the inner man. Soon the whistle 
shrieked unmercifully and we had to resume our 
seats. At 9 P. M. we halted at Viliach, and after 
partaking of an excellent supper returned to the 
train and settled down for the night — an apparent- 
ly endless period of darkness which afforded plenty 
of time for reflection to such unfortunates as, like 
myself, were unable to sleep. 

QZtimt—Wt go on Board — jftrst 2Da^ at £>ea 

Sept. — After passing through Karnten and 
Krain during the night, we reached Trieste at 
seven in the morning and looked eagerly for a 
first glimpse of the Adriatic Sea. There it lay, 
outspread in all its majesty and beauty , sparkling 



16 



WE GO ON BOARD 



beneath the rays of the sun that fell upon its sur- 
face through a light mist, and brightened the 
yachts and small boats that rose and fell upon the 
waves. The country outside of Trieste was 
desolate enough, the barren soil appearing to 
produce nothing but a few scattered plants and 
shrubs. Its aspect changed as we neared the 
city, when vineyards, semi-tropical plants, and 
trees whose delightful verdure we were shortly to 
miss, succeeded to the desert through which we 
had just passed. We drew nearer and nearer to 
the beautiful castle of Miramar,with its sad mem- 
ories of the unfortunate Emperor Maximilian, 
and then came Trieste. We left our baggage at 
the station to be forwarded, and walked through 
the town to the harbor of St. Carlo, where our 
"Tyrolia," our pilgrim ship, was awaiting us. 

From the ship we had a fine view of the town, 
which forms a magnificent amphitheater, lying 
outstretched upon the coast like an expanded 
arch. There are some fine buildings on the quay, 
and a light-house on the southwest of the harbor. 
After taking some kodak views of our ship we 
went on board, looked for our belongings, ar- 



FIRST DAY AT SEA 



17 



ranged ourselves comfortably in our cabin, and 
waited for the sound of the whistle, which gave 
the signal for departure at 10.30 A. M. 

Then the anchor was weighed, and the good 
ship began merrily to cut its way through the 
waves. For the first time I was floating upon 
that great sea which I had hitherto so much 
feared, and have since learned to love. For a 
long time we gave ourselves up to the enjoyment 
afforded by our view of the gulf of Trieste, but 
it became gradually more and more indistinct, 
until only the outlines of the distant mountains 
were discernible; and as we rounded the promon- 
tory even these at last disappeared. To our left 
lay the gulf coast of Istria; later on Pola, the 
Austrian naval station, and lastly the free town of 
Fiume. After passing several islands, as Lussin, 
Lunga, and Meleda, toward evening we saluted 
with a fervent Ave Maria the beloved shrine of 
Loreto, which appeared on the Italian coast to 
our right. But it is time to say a word about 
our vessel. 

The "Tyrolia" is three hundred and fifteen 
feet in length and twenty-two in width, and 



18 



FIRST DAY AT SEA 



travels at the rate of thirteen and a half sea miles 
an hour. On the middle deck a statue of Our 
Lady was attached to the after mast, and before 
this stood the principal altar — for there were 
several — whereat High Mass was celebrated and 
a sermon preached every morning at nine, while 
in the evening Benediction of the Blessed Sacra- 
ment was given at five. The Masses at this altar 
began at 2 A. M. and the Holy Sacrifice was of- 
fered here by thirteen priests before eight. One 
hundred and twenty Masses were said daily on 
board, and the Blessed Sacrament was reserved 
day and night in our midst — a great and rare 
privilege and happiness. He dwelt among us 
now as long ago He had dwelt with His Apostles 
in the little ship on the sea of Genesareth. Was 
it possible to be afraid? Surely not. For my 
own part I had never felt so secure as when travel- 
ing, for the first time, over that sea which hitherto 
I had regarded with dread, for was not Our Lord 
our fellow-traveler ? 

Each altar was provided with a prie-dieu for 
the convenience of the devout, and before the 
statue of Our Lady stood a lamp burning, and 



FIRST DAY AT SEA 



19 



a holy water font. At every hour of the day, 
from early morning until late in the evening, the 
Blessed Mother was surrounded by pious wor- 
shipers. 

Meals were taken in the open air, at tables 
arranged on either side of the deck, for although 
first and second class dining-saloons had been 
provided, they were not sufficiently large to ac- 
commodate the pilgrims. The open air arrange- 
ment was far pleasanter, more especially as we 
had delightful society on board. 

In the cabins the heat was unendurable, and it 
was consequently impossible to remain below 
for any length of time. But this mattered little 
to me or to my constant companions, the Misses 
von Werra; we made a merry trio, troubling our- 
selves neither in sunshine nor storm. My father 
enjoyed himself thoroughly with his friend Dr. 
Etlin, both on board ship and afterwards in the 
Holy Land, so that I was perfectly happy on his 
account. If our cabin was small and stifling, 
nobody else had any better. Our excursion, 
moreover, was not a mere pleasure trip, 
but a pilgrimage, and our discomforts were 



20 



FIRST DAY AT SEA 



slight indeed in comparison with those en- 
dured by Crusaders and pilgrims of the ages of 
faith. 

So the first day on the vessel passed quickly 
and pleasantly, and soon after supper I went to 
bed, and to sleep; for between the novelty of 
passing scenes, the long railway journey, and the 
great heat, I was really fatigued. 

Sept. Sd. — The freshness and beauty of the 
morning drew me early on deck, where I found 
that Masses were already being celebrated at 
every altar. At 9 A. M. His Lordship the Bishop 
of Basle sang Pontifical High Mass with a full 
choir. After the gospel the priest who served as 
chaplain to the pilgrims gave us a sermon, in 
which he described our pilgrimage as an exercise of 
prayer and penance, and a school wherein much 
might be learned. This wonderful celebration of 
the Holy Sacrifice in the midst of the wide sea, 
accompanied by the throbbing of the engines, the 
splashing of the waves, and the thunder of cannon, 
together with the spectacle of the crowd of devout 
worshipers gathered about the altar, formed a 
magnificently dramatic spectacle and left an 



FIRST DAY AT SEA 



31 



impression upon the mind that surely nothing can 
ever obliterate. 

We were now out of sight of land; even the 
islands had disappeared, and all day long we saw 
only the blue sky above us and the sparkling water 
beneath. 

What employment can be found during a whole 
day on board ? On board our ship the morning 
was well taken up by the celebration of the Holy 
Offices. At noon dinner was served, and after 
the meal we tried to take a walk on deck. But 
the space was too narrow and we were compelled 
to relinquish our promenades, or postpone them 
until they could be taken on terra firma. Our 
favorite resort was on the captain's bridge, where 
we had a fine frolic with the wind, and a splendid 
view of the broad expanse of waters. We never 
tired of watching the merry play of the waves. 

How exquisitely beautiful is nature, whether 
on land or sea! The earth with the wealth and 
variety of the pictures she spreads out for us, the 
ocean in its grandeur and simplicity, stretching, 
to all appearance, into illimitable space, are alike 
lovely. The space whereon you actually move 



FIRST DAY AT SEA 



on board is, it must be acknowledged, anything 
but illimitable. In point of fact it is limited to 
the last degree. But even this drawback has its 
advantages. The passengers are of necessity 
brought into contact with one another, acquaint- 
ances are made, and the charms of conversation 
while away hours which might otherwise prove 
tedious. And there was much edification to be 
derived from the fervent piety displayed by the 
pilgrims, their confidence in God, their joyful 
acceptance of any little discomfort, and patient 
endurance of pain. Of course there were some 
who grumbled — some who conducted themselves 
less like pilgrims than ordinary tourists, but 
happily their number was small. 

The various islands passed had to be photo- 
graphed, and the position of each ascertained 
on maps and charts. Groups of pilgrims engaged 
in friendly chat, and amusing scenes and occur- 
rences were "snapped" by the indefatigable 
kodaks. The sick sought healing or relief in 
sleep; students buried themselves in books and 
such retirement as was possible under the circum- 
stances ; the members of the choir practised Masses 



A LITTLE EXCURSION TO CORFU 23 



and hymns m preparation for services on board 
and in Jerusalem; the piously disposed knelt at 
their devotions undisturbed. Time passed gaily 
and quickly enough and every one was happy 
in his own way. 

At 5 P. M. came Benediction of the Blessed 
Sacrament, followed by the Rosary and the singing 
of several hymns. At 7 P. M. supper, then a 
little tour of the vessel to admire the stars and 
the moon throwing its soft light over the rippling 
waters, and once more to rest. 

3 ^little excursion to Corfu 

Sept. teh.— The first Friday of the month. It 
was an unspeakable joy, when I went early on 
deck in order to receive holy communion, to see 
that many more of the pilgrims were to be my 
companions at the holy table. The observance 
of the First Friday was not neglected even on 
board ship. Our Lord too must have rejoiced, 
I think. 

At 4 A. M. the vessel stopped at Corfu, where 
we were promised the pleasure of a sojourn of 
two hours on dry land. We had been informed 



24 A LITTLE EXCURSION TO CORFU 



of this yesterday, and I began to write immediately 
so that I might be able to send my first letter 
from Greece. A piercing whistle from our ship 
announced our arrival, and also awakened the 
inhabitants of Corfu. Boats containing dark- 
skinned figures, whose airy clothing showed that 
their morning toilet had cost them small pains, 
put off from the shore, and soon surrounded 
the "Tyrolia." After undergoing a brief in- 
spection by a sanitary officer from the island, the 
pilgrims were allowed to descend into the boats, 
and were rowed across to the town. I had never 
been on the sea in a rowboat and greatly enjoyed 
the novel experience. 

On reaching the town our first care was to 
procure stamps and postal-cards; the next to see 
as much of the strange place as the very limited 
amount of time at our disposal permitted. Our 
explorations were somewhat circumscribed also 
as to space, since ships wait for nobody, and any 
one wandering out of sound of the whistle which 
was to give the signal for departure was likely to 
pay dearly for his carelessness. He would have to 
remain where he was until some passing vessel 



A LITTLE EXCURSION TO CORFU 25 



might enable him to return to the mainland. 

The pilgrims explored the town in a body. We 
visited the market with its large hall, and made 
many purchases of fruit, returning to the harbor 
at the end of the allotted two hours laden with 
melons, peaches, and grapes. I bought a hand- 
ful of delicious nuts, which were almost as large 
as eggs. 

Lively scenes were enacted in the market, 
where mountains of melons were heaped upon the 
ground, and a wealth of southern products — 
lemons, peaches, grapes, and bananas — was 
exposed for sale in profusion. The fruit mer- 
chants were past masters in the art of cheating, 
and gave proof of their proficiency that day. 
Moreover it was very difficult to make ourselves 
understood, since we knew no modern Greek, 
and the vendors were acquainted with no 
language save their own and a few words of 
Italian. 

To the best of my recollection we saw no wo- 
men. The men wore wide woolen pantaloons of 
gray or blue, gathered in at the ankles, little red 
jackets (some of which were embroidered) over 



26 A LITTLE EXCURSION TO CORFU 



white shirts, and the fez. We returned without 
accident to the ' 'Tyrolia," which had taken in 
coal during our brief absence, and mounting her 
side — not without some difficulty, laden as we 
were with our recent purchases — found that a 
better view of Corfu was to be had from the ves- 
sel than we had been able to obtain on land. 

Corfu, or Corcyra, the principal town on the 
island of the same name, lies between two hills 
which, in many parts, are still crowned with for- 
tresses. It is the ordinary residence of both the 
Catholic and the Greek bishop, and of several 
foreign consuls, and possesses two cathedrals, 
many churches and convents, one college, and 
a theatre ; besides fine hotels for the accommoda- 
tion of visitors to the island. 

It was not without reluctance that we left Corfu, 
with its modern Greek houses, its olive groves, 
and somber cypresses. Happily the voyage up 
the channel afforded us many fine views of the 
towns and villages which adorned the shores, and 
also of the mountain summits of this picturesque 
island. Farther out we saw to the east the rocky 
isles of Paxos and Antipaxos, and soon after 



A LITTLE EXCURSION TO CORFU 27 



Santa Maura on our left. From the appearance 
of their shores we inferred that all these islands 
must be inhabited, but the land looked bare and 
dry. At Cape Dukato, or the Leucadian Rock, 
whence, according to the Greek myths, unhappy 
lovers were accustomed to throw themselves into 
the sea, a fine Greek church now occupies the 
site of the ancient temple of Apollo, and a light- 
house has been erected in front of the church. We 
came next into a calm inland sea surrounded by 
islands. To the left stretches the eastern shore 
of Santa Maura and the island Arkudi, while 
before us arose Cephalonia and Ithaca. We passed 
between these two, and thought of Ulysses as 
we steamed by Ithaca, with its bare mountains 
and windmills, and Cephalonia, upon whose sea- 
washed cliffs he must have often gazed. Cepha- 
lonia is the largest and most thickly populated of 
the Grecian isles. We passed Zante in the twi- 
light, and saw in the distance two finely illumi- 
nated vessels belonging to the Greek navy. 

Sept. 5th. — Passed Cerigo at about 6 A. M. As 
we were going to breakfast after Mass at about 
7 A. M., the rocking of the vessel made walking- 



28 A LITTLE EXCURSION TO CORFU 



on deck a matter of some difficulty. The wind 
had risen, and on taking up our old position on 
the bridge we were very nearly blown away. The 
play of the waves became very lively. Some- 
times they rose higher than our heads like moun- 
tains, sometimes opened into yawning abysses at 
our feet. The ship rocked and danced like a 
nutshell, and seemed now to hang suspended in 
mid-air, and again to be thrown back into the 
depths of the waters. 

The sea was magnificent! Far more beautiful 
than in calm, for here was a manifestation not 
of beauty alone, but also of power. And this 
was not a storm, only a capful of wind, the cap- 
tain assured us, when we, poor land rats, believed 
ourselves to be experiencing a veritable tempest. 
The clear blue sky with its bright sun was out- 
stretched above us, it is true, but around and 
beneath us, roaring and foaming, was the 
mighty, wind-tossed sea. 

And we valiant Swiss folk, how did we comport 
ourselves in the midst of the raging elements ? 
Well, we can be sturdy enough on our own moun- 
tains, and tread their terrors bravely under foot, 



A LITTLE EXCURSION TO CORFU 29 



but where there is question, not of climbing rocks, 
but of maintaining one's balance, we are soon 
vanquished; and then — sea sickness is not to be 
fought with an alpenstock. Very small was the 
number of victors who remained on deck through- 
out the fray, but my father and I were among them. 
The sea grew calmer toward noon, to the mani- 
fest satisfaction of everybody. Benediction was 
given as usual at 5 P. M. and was followed by 
the sermon, which for reasons of convenience 
had been postponed in the morning. 

We steamed along the coast of Crete the whole 
day, reaching Cape Sideros at about seven in the 
evening. The island is one hundred and ninety- 
seven miles in circumference, and contains three 
hundred thousand inhabitants. A continuous 
range of mountains runs throughout its entire 
length at a little distance inland, and the shore 
presents a succession of chalk cliffs alternating 
with groves of olive trees. Crete, or Candia, 
Homer's "island of the hundred towns," is re- 
nowned for its abundant supply of excellent water 
and consequent fertility. 

The faith was brought hither by the Cretan 



30 A LITTLE EXCURSION TO CORFU 



Jews converted by St. Peter on the morning of 
the feast of Pentecost, and the infant church 
caused much anguish and tribulation of spirit 
to the Apostle St. Paul later on. He assigned 
the spiritual charge of this island to his disciple, 
Titus, and Gortynia is declared by tradition to 
have been the seat of his bishopric. The line of 
his successors was broken in 1699, when Candia 
was invaded and taken by the Turks, but a bishop 
was again appointed in 1874 for the small number 
of one thousand Catholics scattered among one 
hundred and forty thousand Mussulmans and 
one hundred and sixty thousand orthodox 
Greeks. Canea is the seat of the episcopal See at 
present. 

Sunday, Sept 6th. — To-day we lost sight of 
land. His Lordship the Bishop favored us with 
a beautiful sermon on faith in Jesus Christ, con- 
cluding with the invocation "Praised be Jesus 
Christ, " to which all present responded by a loud 
and fervent: " Now and forevermore. Amen. " 

Our spare time was occupied in writing postal- 
cards, which we procured on board, whereon were 
depicted views of the Holy Land. In the even- 



JAFFA— ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 



31 



ing each pilgrim labelled his or her baggage with 
the proper number and arranged it on deck in 
readiness for going ashore on the morrow. 

JLanUtng at 3fla£fa— Sioumep to ant> arrtbal at 
t^e ifroli? Cttj? of 31eru0alem 

Monday, Sept. 7th.— As we expected to reach 
Jaffa at about 6 :40 A. M. the Masses commenced 
at midnight in order that the decks might be 
cleared by half -past five. Before sunrise our 
vessel presented a lively spectacle, for all the 
passengers, in full pilgrim costume of gray dust 
cloak, floating white veil, and flask strapped across 
the shoulder, had gathered on deck and were gaz- 
ing eastward toward the Land of Desire. Pres- 
ently some far-off specks, which eventually re- 
solved themselves into the summits of a chain 
of mountains, became visible on the horizon. We 
drew nearer, suddenly the coast appeared, robed 
in a resplendent mantle of crimson and gold, the 
transmitted glory of the rising sun. To describe 
the splendors of that sunrise over the mountains 
of Palestine would be impossible. It shone, too, 
upon one of the happiest days of our lives, 



32 JAFFA— ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 



that on which our feet were to press for the first 
time the blessed soil of the holy city of Jeru- 
salem. 

A little bird, the first I had seen since the begin- 
ing of the voyage, came flying toward us through 
that blaze of light, like a messenger bearing greet- 
ings from the Holy Land and bidding us welcome 
in the name of the Lord. 

Before us lay Jaffa, the gate of Palestine; a 
city so ancient that tradition carries it back to 
the days of Noe, who is said to have built the 
Ark here. To Jaffa came the fleets of Hiram, 
king of Tyre, laden with "wood of the cedars 
of Libanus, " whereof King Solomon's Temple 
at Jerusalem was to be built. The Prophet 
Jonas took ship for Tharsis from Jaffa, and 
in its harbor arose the storm wherein he 
was thrown overboard and swallowed by a 
whale because he had disobeyed the command of 
God. 

In the year 164 B. C. Jaffa was burned by 
Judas Machabeus and its harbor destroyed to 
avenge the treacherous massacre of two hun- 
dred Jews, and such of the inhabitants as escaped 



Entrance to the Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher in the Rotunda 
of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. 



JAFFA— ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 33 



the flames perished by the sword. In succeed- 
ing centuries the town was twelve times destroyed 
and as often rebuilt. At least a small number of 
Christian converts were made very early in Jaffa, 
or Joppe, as the city was then called, for it was here 
that St. Peter worked one of his most wonderful 
miracles in the restoring of Tabitha to life. The 
church of Jaffa was raised to the dignity of a 
bishopric under Constantine in 336 A. D. It 
was fortified by the Crusaders under Godfrey 
de Bouillon in 1099 A. D., taken by Saladin in 
1187, recaptured by Richard Coeur de Lion, 
again lost by the Christians to Melek-el-Adel, 
and later on ceded with other Syrian ports to 
Frederick, emperor of Germany. In 1252 St. 
Louis fortified Jaffa, and built there a fine church 
with ten altars, giving the sacred edifice into the 
charge of the Franciscan Friars. The city was 
besieged by Napoleon in 1799, partially destroyed 
by an earthquake in 1838, and connected with 
the holy city by a railroad in 1892* Such, in 
brief, is the history of Jaffa, the city that now 
lay before us, its terraces glittering in the light of 
the rising sun. Once strongly fortified, its walls 



34 JAFFA— ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 



are in ruins to-day; and its streets, steep and nar- 
row, wind upward to the summit of the hill on 
which the city is built. 

No sooner had we cast anchor before the town 
than our vessel was surrounded, as at Corfu, by 
small boats manned by dark-skinned, dirty, half- 
naked, and exceedingly vociferous natives, to 
whose mercies we very literally committed our- 
selves after some slight custom-house formalities 
had been gone through. The boatmen picked 
us up from the ship ladder and put us into the 
boats as if we had been so many packages. The 
harbor is so bad as to be dangerous even for 
rowboats except under the management of men 
thoroughly acquainted with the rocks and shoals 
wherewith its waters are beset. Steamers can- 
not get in at all. No steps are provided at the 
landing-place, and in order to reach terra firma 
it is necessary to take a long stride. Even then 
the ascent was accomplished only by the help of 
some vigorous pushing and pulling at the hands 
of our neighbors. When the "baksheesh" de- 
manded by our rowers had been honestly paid 
they departed, and we realized that, at last, we 



JAFFA— ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 35 



were standing on the shore of Asia — we were 
truly in the Holy Land. I longed to fall upon my 
knees and kiss the sacred soil as pilgrims and 
Crusaders did of old, but the quay was not the 
place for the indulgence of such devotion. More- 
over we were called upon just then to display ours 
after another fashion. As soon as the whole 
body of pilgrims had gained the street we formed 
in procession, keeping to the original groups or 
divisions into which we had been arranged at 
Feldkirch. Each division was preceded by its 
own Jerusalem cross, and every pilgrim wore his 
or her own proper number. In this way order 
was preserved and every one knew his place. 
When all had fallen into rank we began to move, 
and proceeded slowly through the narrow streets 
toward the church of the Franciscans, reciting 
the Rosary aloud as we walked. Once inside 
the church we were free to kiss the ground and 
say the Pater and Ave whereby we hoped to gain 
the plenary indulgence granted to pilgrims to 
the Holy Land. Henceforth in this narrative 
each place where a plenary indulgence may be 
gained will be marked by a small cross (f) and 



36 



JAFFA— ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 



by an asterisk (*) when the indulgence granted is 
partial. 

The Rev. Father Karli, President of the Associ- 
ation of Swiss Pilgrims to Jerusalem, made a 
short speech, and then we sang the Te Deiun 
with great fervor and enthusiasm. We had in- 
deed reason to praise and thank our good God 
for His wonderful protection as well as for the 
great grace accorded to so few — the happiness 
of visiting the Holv Land. 

The chapel of the Franciscan convent, which 
also serves as the parish church, is built in the 
Roman style. It was erected in 1888, and con- 
secrated to St. Peter, whose picture hangs over 
the high altar. 

As we had to wait three hours before we could 
leave for Jerusalem, we took the opportunity 
of strolling through the city, and thus obtained 
some idea of the kind of life led by the natives 
of an Eastern town. 

The eye rested upon merchants vending every 
variety of wares in the many bazars ; men in gaudy 
turbans and mantles lounged in front of the coffee- 
houses, smoking, drinking, or gambling; and 



JAFFA — ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 



37 



beggars of every size and every shade of color 
noisily plied their trade. Everywhere might be 
heard chatter in many languages, chiefly Arabic, 
Italian, and French, with now and then a sentence 
in German. The air was laden with odors which 
were, to us, as novel as the sounds. 

My father and I, with some other members of 
our party, visited the Arabian bazar, the fruit 
and vegetable garden, the German settlement 
outside the town, and the Hotel Palestina, situ- 
ated in a beautiful park. It formerly belonged 
to the Knights Templars. There I saw for the 
first time the imperial palm proudly waving on 
high its crown of verdure, and admired the beauty 
of the orange trees and other semi-tropical plants 
and flowers. In due time we returned to the 
railway station, where two special trains were 
awaiting the pilgrims, and took our seats, after 
purchasing several baskets of grapes which little 
boys were offering for sale on the platform. The 
grapes of Jaffa and Jerusalem are the finest I 
ever saw. Many of our friends were tempted 
by the exquisite color and beauty of the pome- 
granates also. The fruit of Jaffa is of much finer 



38 JAFFA— ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 



quality than the manners of the inhabitants, 
whose chief characteristic seemed to be an un- 
blushing effrontery rarely to be met with else- 
where. We heard what must surely be the 
national anthem of the East chanted continu- 
ously on every side — the eternal hymn of "bak- 
sheesh" sung to all tunes by great and small in 
every street. 

When every one had taken his place the train 
started, and although it was to be four hours in 
making thirty-three miles, we felt that so far 
from having a right to complain, we ought rather 
to feel thankful that Jerusalem could be reached 
in less than a day, which was not the case a very 
short time ago. 

We left Jaffa at mid-day, and the temperature 
of the crowded carriages may be more easily 
imagined than described. Nearly all the pilgrims, 
overcome by the heat and wearied by the long 
walk through and about Jaffa, disposed them- 
selves to sleep. But for me the opportunity was 
too precious to be lost. Rest might be taken 
at some other place or time, for in all probability 
I should never see the Holy Land again. So 



JAFFA — ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 39 



I wrestled valiantly with the foe, overcame him, 
and remained awake. 

The road lay through fine orchards and gardens, 
with groves of orange, lemon, olive, almond, and 
pomegranate trees, interspersed here and there 
with figs. High and impenetrable hedges of cac- 
tus fenced in these widely renowned gardens of 
Jaffa which, unfortunately, we did not see at 
their best, for this was the dry season and every- 
thing looked parched. Jaffa truly lies in the 
midst of an earthly paradise, but it is a paradise 
over which the sentinel angel appears to wave his 
fiery sword at some seasons of the year. 

Leaving Jaffa and its environs we reached the 
Plain of Sharon, made famous by the inspired 
pen of Solomon in the Canticle of Canticles. But 
Solomon must have seen it in spring. It is bare 
enough in September; not a flower was visible, 
nor sign of life given by anything except a few 
scattered sheep. 

Our first stopping place after Jaffa was Lydda, 
called in the Old Testament, Lod. This city 
was early erected into a bishopric, and here St. 
Peter cured Eneas "who was ill of the palsy." 



40 



JAFFA — ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 



A synod was held here in 414 to examine into the 
doctrines of Pelagius, who denied original sin 
and the necessity of grace. The city was taken 
by the Crusaders in 1099. 

Lydda is now a small town of about six thou- 
sand inhabitants, of whom one thousand nine 
hundred and fifty belong to the disunited Greeks, 
thirty are Protestants, and the rest Mohammedans. 
The town contains a church dedicated to St. 
George, who was born here, but suffered mar- 
tyrdom at Nicomedia under Diocletian. 

Ramleh, the next station, is said to have been 
the birthplace of both Joseph of Arimathea and 
Nicodemus. Richard Ceour de Lion made the 
town his headquarters during the third Crusade, 
and it remained in possession of the Christians 
until 1266. There are two schools in Ramleh; 
one of which is directed by the Franciscans, the 
other by the Josephites. The tower of the Forty 
Martyrs is at no great distance. From Ramleh 
we took our way over a range of low hills until we 
reached Abana, where the mountains of Judea 
begin. It was in this part of the country — at el- 
Lekhi — that Samson fought against the Philistines, 



JAFFA— ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 



41 



and we were shown a grotto hewn out of the rock 
which tradition declares to have been his. 

After the fifth and last station the road lay up 
a continuous ascent, following the windings of 
the rocky defiles. In one of these, called the 
Valley of Roses — it ought rather to have been 
named the Valley of Stones — we saw to our right 
the Fountain of St. Philip, where the holy deacon 
baptized the chamberlain of Queen Candace, and 
we also passed through the Valley of Raphaim, 
the scene of David's struggle with the Philis- 
tines. The valley is naturally fertile, and is 
kept in a fine state of cultivation. From the train 
we could see women and children moving 
through the olive groves, vineyards, and vegetable 
gardens, weeding and watering with great 
care. 

At last the train stopped. We had actually 
reached Jerusalem, El Kuds, the Holy, as it is 
called by the Turks, and there was something, 
just a tinge, of disappointment, about the manner 
of our arriving. To dismount from one's horse 
after a journey over hill and dale, and throw one's 
self upon one's knees to kiss the blessed soil, and 



42 JAFFA — ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 



sing a glad Te Deum, would have been far more 
consonant with one's feelings as well as with pre- 
conceived ideas than to pour with crowds out 
of a railway train onto a wooden platform as 
we did. Still, our procession of five hundred 
pilgrims was imposing, at least, and made up 
for much that otherwise was lacking. Happily 
the station is situated at a distance of nearly an 
hour's walk from Jerusalem, and is hidden 
behind a hill. Modern improvements, however 
convenient, are out of place here; and the actual 
sight of a railway with all its appurtenances in 
the holy city would spoil everything. 

Our procession was formed in five divisions 
as usual. Four marshals in picturesque cos- 
tume, each bearing a drawn sword in one hand 
and in the other his staff of office, with which 
he struck the ground at every step, came first. 
Immediately behind these officials was borne 
the banner of the Swiss and Austrian pilgrims. 
Each division of the procession was preceded by 
the gold cross of Jerusalem. In the third division 
came His Lordship the Bishop and all the priests, 
following the statue of the Blessed Virgin, which 



JAFFA— ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 



43 



had accompanied the pilgrims throughout their 
journey so far, and then the two last divisions 
brought up the rear. Mounted police rode on 
either side of the way both as a protection and 
to clear a passage with their leather whips, if 
necessary, through the gathering crowds. The 
Rosary was recited aloud until we came in sight 
of the holy city, when the hymn of the pilgrims 
was sung. Passing through Montefiore's Jewish 
colony we entered by the Jalfa gate(f), where a 
plenary indulgence may be gained, and could at 
last say with the Royal Psalmist: "Our feet have 
stood within thy courts, O Jerusalem!" We 
passed the city of David and through the Chris- 
tian street to the church of the Holy Sepulcher. 
It would be impossible to describe the sensations 
of awe, reverence, and devotion with which, in 
spite of bodily fatigue and exterior circumstances, 
the Christian is overwhelmed on that first entrance 
into Jerusalem. It was as if we had been caught 
up from earth and wrapped in higher atmosphere. 
The people of the neighborhood, both within 
and without the gate, gathered in groups on either 
side of the street, but were quiet and well-behaved. 



44 JAFFA— ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 



We have no time to look about us now, later on 
we shall see more of the life in the streets. 

Arrived in the church (f) we arranged our- 
selves before and around the chapel of the Holy 
Sepulcher, and after a short discourse delivered 
by a Franciscan Father, sang the Te Deum — a 
fitting expression of the gratitude we felt at finding 
ourselves here, on the most sacred spot in the 
whole world. I could hardly believe that my 
wishes were at last realized, that I could tarry 
here, where Our Savior lived, suffered, and died. 

After satisfying their devotion the pilgrims 
were conducted to the hospices which were to be 
their abiding-place during their stay in Jerusalem. 
The first three divisions were lodged in the hospice 
known as Notre Dame de France, the fourth in 
the Casa Nuova of the Franciscans , the fifth in 
the Austrian hospice. The two latter hospices 
are situated inside the walls of the city. We were 
domiciled in Notre Dame de France, which was 
built upon Mount Gareb by the Fathers of the 
Assumption in 1885. Like the other two this 
house is devoted to the reception of pilgrims, 
who are received and welcomed with the greatest 



JAFFA— ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM 45 



hospitality. Notre Dame de France is a large 
stone building facing Mount Olivet. The 
rooms are wide and lofty, clean, and simply fur- 
nished. The towers command a fine view of the 
holy city, and as the house stands on an eminence 
just without the walls, the air is comparatively 
fresh and pure. In the fine Gothic chapel built 
by the Fathers, the statue of the Blessed Virgin 
behind the altar and the arch at the entrance of 
the sanctuary are lighted with electric lamps 
every evening during Benediction. A well-kept 
flower and vegetable garden lies before the house. 

Immediately after supper we retired to a rest 
that was rendered doubly necessary by the fatigue 
and excitement of the wonderful day through 
which we had just passed. The Misses Von 
Werra and I learned with much pleasure that we 
were to share our room in the hospice as we had 
shared a cabin on board the boat. We were 
glad to find ourselves once more together. 

But tired as I was, the very causes of weariness 
rendered sleep impossible, and hours passed 
before I could close my eyes in slumber on that 
first night of our sojourn in the Holy Land. 



46 DESCRIPTION OF JERUSALEM 



Before telling further of our pilgrimage, I will 
give a short description of the holy city, just to 
bring its changing fate back to our memories. 

l^tetorp anu SDescrtptton of 3Mmsalem 

To nearly all civilized peoples Jerusalem is 
the holy city. It is sacred to the Jews as having 
been the center of their past glories, and the place 
wherein stood that magnificent Temple whose 
ruins they still revere. It is sacred to Christians 
as the scene of the suffering and death of Our 
Lord; and to the Moslems because the Mosque 
of Omar stands within its walls. 

Jerusalem, the Salem of old, was founded, ac- 
cording to Jewish tradition, by Melchisedech, 
king and high priest, about two thousand years 
before Christ. Fifty years later it fell into the 
hands of the Jebusites, who built a fortress on 
Mount Sion, and from its name Jebus, with 
Salem, was formed the word Jerusalem, which, 
according to St. Paul, signifies the city or vision 
of peace. The Jebusites lost the city to the 
Hebrews 1445 B. C, but retained possession of 
Mount Sion, which did not fall into the hands of 



DESCRIPTION OF JERUSALEM 47 



the chosen people until 1048 B. C, when it was 
finally conquered by David, and the citadel was 
ever afterwards known by his name. Solomon 
built his magnificent Temple on Mount Moria 
opposite Mount Sion, the city of David, and 
further enriched and beautified Jerusalem by the 
erection of palaces and other buildings. Thus it 
became both the political and the religious center 
of Palestine. 

By the separation of the tribes and the erection 
of Israel into a separate kingdom in the time of 
Solomon's son Roboam, Jerusalem lost much of 
her political importance, but still remained the 
sacred city in the eyes of all true believers, since 
here was situated the only Temple wherein sac- 
rifice might lawfully be offered to the one true 
God. During a period of three centuries Judea 
suffered much from foreign invasion. The holy 
city was plundered by the Assyrians, who burned 
the temple and drove many of the inhabitants 
into captivity. Some few years later it was be- 
sieged and taken by Nabuchodonosor, who swept 
off all the nobles and princes of Jerusalem to- 
gether with the treasures of the Temple, into 



48 DESCRIPTION OF JERUSALEM 



Babylon, where, with the people of Judea, they 
remained in captivity until Babylon became, in 
turn, the prey of the Medes and Persians. They 
were allowed to return by Cyrus after an exile 
that had lasted seventy years. The city and 
Temple were rebuilt by Nehemias and were spared 
by Alexander the Great when he became the con- 
queror of Persia and its dependencies. After 
his death, Judea — and by consequence Jerusalem 
— fell to the lot of Ptolemy Soter, and remained 
tributary to Egypt for more than a century. An- 
tiochus wrested it from the Egyptians, 199 B. C. 
The city was almost totally destroyed by Antiochus 
Epiphanes, 171 B. C, and the Temple desecrat- 
ed. After a long struggle the Machabees suc- 
ceeded in restoring the independence of their 
country, which was governed by their descendants, 
the Asmoneans, until its conquest by the Romans 
under Pompey, 63 B. C. 

Herod the Idumean, afterwards known as 
Herod the Great, contrived, through the influence 
of Marc Antony, to obtain from Augustus the 
title of king of Judea. In order to curry favor 
with the Jews he became a proselyte, restored 



N 




The Fourteen Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem. 

I. Jesus is condemned : Court outside the barracks. II. Jesus is laden with 
the Cross: St. Stephen's Gate Street. III. First Fall : Before the Austrian 
hospice. IV. Jesus meets His Mother: Before a small Armenian Catholic 
church. V- Simon of Cyrene : Lower end of the Street of the Frank. VI. 
Veronica: Greek Catholic Chapel. VII. Second Fall: Judgment Gate and 
small chapel of the Franciscans. VIII. Weeping Women : An "VIII " in 
the wall of a Greek Convent. IX. Third Fall : Broken column at residence 
of Coptic Bishop. X. Jesus is stripped : Inscription on ground in Latin 
chapel in Golgotha. XI. Jesus nailed to Cross: Altar of the Crucifixion. 
XII. Jesus Dies: Greek Altar. XIII. Jesus taken from Cross: Altar 
Mater Dolorosa. XIV. Jesus laid in tomb : Chapel Holy Sepulcher. 



DESCRIPTION OF JERUSALEM 49 



the Temple with a magnificence almost equal to 
that of Solomon, and rebuilt Jerusalem, adorn- 
ing the city with many fine edifices — notably the 
tower or citadel of Antonia. Toward the end of 
his reign, four thousand years from the creation 
of the world, the Messias was born. It was 
Herod who ordered the massacre of the Holy In- 
nocents. On his death Palestine was divided 
among his three sons, Archelaus, Philip, and 
Antipater. Archelaus became king of Judea, 
but on his disgrace and banishment ten years 
later, the title was forfeited. Thenceforth Roman 
governors were appointed to rule Judea, until its 
honors were restored thirty-seven years later, 
when Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the 
Great, became king. Pontius Pilate, the fifth 
Roman governor, condemned Our Lord to the 
death of the cross. Herod Agrippa enlarged 
Jerusalem by extending it toward the northwest, 
thus bringing Mount Calvary within the walls. 
Under this, the last Jewish king, St. Peter was 
imprisoned, and St. James the Less suffered 
martrydom. 

After the death of Agrippa the Romans again 



50 DESCRIPTION OF JERUSALEM 



appointed governors, who exasperated the Jews 
by their exactions, and thus gave rise to petty 
seditions and rebellions which at last drew down 
the vengeance of Rome. In consequence Jeru- 
salem was besieged and levelled to the ground 
by Titus. The Temple was burned in spite of 
a command issued by the general for its preser- 
vation, and thus the prediction of Our Lord that 
not a stone should be left upon a stone of the once 
highly favored city was literally fulfilled. Jeru- 
salem was rebuilt by Hadrian, but the new city 
was not more than half the size of the Jerusalem 
of Herod the Great. A temple to Jupiter was 
erected on Mount Moria, and the city, from 
which Ophel was now cut off, was re-named 
iElia Capitolina. 

A number of Christians settled in the pagan- 
ized city, and were governed in matters connected 
with religion by a bishop of their own. Its 
honors and its name were restored to Jerusalem 
by Constantine, whose mother, the Empress 
St. Helena, visited the city, discovered the true 
cross, and erected churches on the sites of many 
of the holy places, in 326 A.D. Under the 



DESCRIPTION OF JERUSALEM 51 



Pontificate of Pope St. Gregory the Great, a 
Benedictine monaster} 7 , a hospital, and a hospice 
for the reception of pilgrims were founded by 
Probus. The Persians under Chosroes II. took 
the holy city, slew many of her priests, and cap- 
tured the true cross, 614 A.D., but were in turn 
conquered by the Greek Emperor, Heraclius. 
He rebuilt the churches, re-established the Chris- 
tian dominion in Jerusalem, and regained the 
true cross. In 63? Syria was invaded by the 
Mohammedans, who coveted the possession of 
the holy places. They conquered Palestine, and 
the sufferings endured by the unhappy Christians 
under their rule are too well known to need 
repetition here. Accounts of their misery brought 
to Europe by Peter the Hermit fired the chivalrous 
spirit of the Middle Ages. Princes, nobles, and 
people from every civilized nation of the west 
gathered at the cry of "God wills it" to join the 
first Crusade. In 1099 Jerusalem was taken 
from the infidels by Godfrey de Bouillon, only 
to be lost again in 1187. St. Francis and his 
brethren founded a convent on Mount Sion close 
to the Cenacle, in 1219. The mere mention of 



52 DESCRIPTION OF JERUSALEM 



the Crusades recalls many of the great names 
that became famous in the so-called Dark Ages: 
Philip Augustus, Richard Coeur de Lion, Fre- 
deric Barbarossa, St. Louis, veritable heroes who 
were ready to dare all and risk all in the cause 
of God. Their aim was to regain Palestine and 
the holy places, but what their faith and courage 
strove for and won was lost, not from lack of 
either faith or courage, but rather because the 
charity was lacking of which St. Paul says that 
it "envieth not, seeketh not its own." While 
the Christians quarrelled among themselves, 
Palestine again and again became the prey of 
the infidels, until the opportunity was lost, and 
the time wherein the holy places might have 
been rescued for Christendom had passed away. 

Crusades are no longer the fashion — they be- 
longed to the tc dark" Middle Ages. Our modern 
policy is peace, tolerance, even with Islam! 
We know that the holy city is no longer the royal, 
proud Jerusalem of former days. Jerusalem 
lost its sceptre on the day that the Roman arms 
fulfilled the prophecies of Our Savior. 

Jerusalem is unlike any other city: it is a great, 



DESCRIPTION OF JERUSALEM 53 



gloomy heap of ruins and tombs; its brooks are 
dried, the stream Cedron is without water, the 
ground is parched and covered with the rubbish 
of three centuries ; whichever way we look we are 
reminded of death and destruction. But the 
ideas which went forth from here rule the world; 
the truths of Christianity set free and regenerate 
the nations. 

I shall not attempt to describe the ancient 
Jerusalem. An abler pen than mine must tell 
of the glories that are passed away forever. I 
will write only of the holy city of to-day. 

Jerusalem stands on a barren chalk plateau 
at a height of 2600 feet above the level of the sea. 
The city is built upon several hills which sink 
precipitously into deep valleys, almost chasms, 
on the west, south, and east, but extend into a 
plain on the north. In the course of ages the 
size and structure of these hills have become great- 
ly changed, and the many demolitions to which 
Jerusalem has been subjected at the hands of 
her enemies have helped partially to fill the valleys 
at her feet with rubbish, so that their depth is 
less than it was of old. The Valley of Cedron 



54 DESCRIPTION OF JERUSALEM 



or Josaphat on the east separates Jerusalem from 
Mount Olivet, whose elevation is slightly higher 
than that of the plateau on which the city is built, 
and from the Hill of Offense. To the south is 
Hinnom, and to the west the Valley of Gehenna. 
Two other heights besides Mount Olivet rise very 
near to Jerusalem; one, Mount Scopus, is like a 
continuation of Mount Olivet, while on the south, 
over-shadowing the Valley of Hinnom, stands the 
Mount of Evil Counsel. The wall which at 
present surrounds the city was built by Solyman 
the Magnificent in 1534 and in style and structure 
resembles those erected during the Crusades. 
The material used in their construction is a 
yellowish sandstone. 

Jerusalem is rectangular in form, contains four 
principal streets, and is entered by four gates. 
The Jaffa gate on the west opens on the Bethlehem 
road, which leads also to Jaffa; the Damascus 
gate on the north points the way to Damascus 
and is the finest and most strongly fortified of the 
four; St. Stephen's gate, or the gate of the Virgin, 
opens towards Mount Olivet; the Sion gate is on 
the south. Besides the four streets which run 



DESCRIPTION OF JERUSALEM 55 



parallel with the walls, three others of importance 
cut through the city. The first passes eastward 
from the Jaffa gate to Mount Moria, the site of 
the ancient Temple, where the Mosque of Omar 
now stands. The second street runs from north to 
south between the Damascus gate and the gate of 
Sion, passing the church of the Holy Sepulcher. 
The third street is between St. Stephen's gate and 
the church of San Salvator. Most of the Stations 
of the Cross are on this street. The inhabitants 
of Jerusalem comprise representatives of four 
nationalities, and each nationality is settled in its 
own quarter. These divisions are the Christian 
Quarter in the northwestern part of the city, where 
are situated the principal Christian churches and 
institutions, as the San Salvator, the church of the 
Holy Sepulcher, the Latin Patriarchal church, 
Casa Nuova, and others; the Armenian quarter, 
in the southwest, with its large convent built upon 
Mount Sion; the Mohammedan Quarter in the 
northeast, wherein are located the residence of 
the Pasha, the Mosque of Omar, St. Ann's 
church, the convent of Notre Dame de Sion, and 



56 CLIMATE AND VEGETATION 



the Austrian hospice: and last, the Jewish Quar- 
ter in the southeast. 

The interior of Jerusalem as it is to-day presents 
no agreeable picture. The streets are narrow 
and irregular; the houses are built of stone and 
have flat roofs, barred windows, and low doors. 
All are dark, dirty, and mal-odorous to the last 
degree. There are no places of amusement in the 
holy city; no theaters, no museums, no gardens, 
no parks. Jerusalem is distinguished by its 
sanctuaries. It is itself a sanctuary alike to 
Christians, Mohammedans, and Jews. The sub- 
urbs are pleasanter by far than the city itself. 
The streets are wider and cleaner; well-built 
villas situated in fine gardens are here and there 
to be seen; and many noble institutions, both 
Greek and Latin, uplift their roofs above the 
dwelling houses in whose midst they stand. 

Climate ant) ©egrtatton 

The climate is generally healthy. The heat, 
although great in summer, is rendered endurable 
by the breezes that blow in from the sea. The 
nights are almost cold, and strangers are warned 



CLIMATE AND VEGETATION 57 



against going out after dark on account of the 
malaria which prevails. Father Franz, the direc- 
tor of our pilgrim division, told us that the shutters 
in his cell were covered every morning with thick 
drops of dew. During the day the heat is such 
as might be experienced at noontide in August 
at home, and is tempered by strong winds which 
were very refreshing in spite of the dust which they 
raised and blew into our faces. There is less 
dust in the city than in the suburbs, for the streets 
are paved with cobble-stones ; but these are rough 
and uneven, and, moreover, exceedingly slippery, 
circumstances that render walking both difficult 
and unpleasant. Beyond the walls dust lies thick 
everywhere, imparting a grayish white appearance 
to the foliage of the cacti and olive trees which 
serve as hedges here. No rain falls from April 
till September, and during the dry months every- 
thing is parched and dead. The river beds be- 
come mere stony hollows, and no cool verdure 
refreshes the eye, as in the meadows and on the 
hillsides of less arid lands. The soft green of the 
olives, almost the only trees to be met with in 
and about Jerusalem, harmonizes well with its 



58 CLIMATE AND VEGETATION 



surroundings; anything more fresh and vivid 
would be out of place. The effect of the alterna- 
tions of color from blue green to silver gray, 
caused by gusts of wind rustling the foliage, is 
particularly beautiful. The grape-vine, which 
however is not cultivated in the immediate 
vicinity of Jerusalem, is of a brighter green, as 
is also the foliage of the fig. The vine grows 
wild about Bethlehem and St. John's. 

The population of Jerusalem at the time of 
Alexander the Great numbered one hundred 
and twenty thousand; at the time of Our Lord 
it had increased to two hundred thousand ; to-day 
it has dwindled to sixty-five thousand six hundred 
and thirty, of whom fifty-five thousand are Jews, 
two thousand three hundred Latins, one hundred 
and fifty Orthodox Greeks, twenty Armenians, 
one hundred Copts, four hundred Protestants, 
and seven thousand six hundred and sixty Mo- 
hammedans. This slight preliminary account was 
necessary in order to render more intelligible the 
description of our rambles in and around the 
holy city. The eight days we spent in Jerusalem 
are to me among the holiest and happiest of my 



CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER 59 



life. I would compare them to an eight days' 
retreat; a retreat, moreover, made in a place 
whose very atmosphere was redolent of the love, 
sufferings, and death of Our Lord, but differing 
from ordinary retreats in this, that the stones, 
streets, mountains, all the spots we visited, were 
silent preachers that touched our hearts and drew 
every thought away from earth to the considera- 
tion of the things of God. 

Jtngti spass auu Sermon in tlje Cfctirctj of tty 

Sept. 8th. — To comparatively few, perhaps, 
is the privilege granted of offering congratulations 
to the Blessed Virgin on the feast of her Nativity 
in the land of her birth. Following a programme 
already prepared, the pilgrims assisted at the 
High Mass offered at 6 A.M.. in the church of 
the Holy Sepulcher. I was glad to profit by 
an opportunity that presented itself during the 
service of going to confession in a chapel adjoining 
that of the Holy Sepulcher in which the Mass 
was sung. I afterwards received holy com- 
munion at the altar of the Mater Dolorosa on 



60 CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER 



Mount Calvary, for the church of the Holy Sep- 
ulcher covers the sacred hill. Masses were being 
celebrated at all the altars, and one might 
communicate at any. There are neither benches, 
prie-dieux, nor sanctuary rails in the church. The 
communicants knelt upon the altar-steps, holding 
a gold paten, which was passed from one to an- 
other, instead of a communion cloth. During 
Mass the native Christians recite the Rosary with 
great devotion, and at the Consecration throw 
themselves prostrate on the floor, touching the 
pavement with their foreheads. I shall never 
forget that first communion in Jerusalem received 
at the altar of the Mater Dolorosa. It was as 
though my Mother in heaven, knowing my 
devotion to her sorrows, wished me to receive 
her divine Son first at the foot of her own altar — 
the altar which bears the title I so dearly love. 
Many graces I asked and I hope obtained there 
at her hands; graces for myself and for my 
beloved relatives, benefactors, and friends. 

When the services, that is the High Mass and 
sermon, were over, we returned to the hospice. 
The sun was mounting in the heavens, and it 



ST. ANN'S CHURCH 



61 



behooves all who have no business that calls 
them out of doors to remain within during the 
great heat — that is, between the hours of ten in 
the morning and three in the afternoon. Every- 
body who is not prevented from doing so by 
imperative business takes a siesta after dinner, 
and the streets are almost deserted at that time. 

g>t, Ctmrclj— pool of HBettjsatEa 
— Wyz Cate of 3|eremta$ 

At about half-past two we went to visit St. 
Ann's church near the gate of St. Stephen. Like 
almost all the sanctuaries of Jerusalem, St. Ann's 
has a long history, and has been subjected to 
many vicissitudes, but it would take too long 
to relate them here. The Christians have always 
venerated the site of the church as that on which 
stood the dwelling of SS. Joachim and Ann, in 
which Our Lady was born. The present edifice 
with the adjoining buildings was erected by 
the French and given by them to Cardinal 
Lavigerie, who founded here a convent of White 
Fathers and a seminary for the benefit of Greek 
students belonging to the true Church, wherein 



62 



ST. ANN'S CHURCH 



they may pursue their theological studies free 
of charge. The seminary is under the direction 
of the White Fathers. As we crossed a wide 
court to reach the church, which is built entirely 
of white stone, and in very simple style, the 
students entertained us with the music of their 
band. The nave of the church is divided into 
three aisles, and over the high altar is a large 
statue of St. Ann teaching the infant Mother of 
God. A^fter assisting at Vespers, at which His 
Lordship the Bishop officiated, we descended 
into the crypt of the nativity of the Holy Virgin (t), 
which is hewn out of the rock. Here, according 
to a tradition very generally accepted in spite 
of differing opinions, Mary was born. Although 
they had possessions in Galilee, there is little 
doubt but that Joachim and Ann also owned a 
dwelling in Jerusalem, and Eastern tradition 
locates the house near the Pool of Bethsaida. 
The inhabitants of the holy city could hardly be 
induced to acknowledge either Sephoris, Bethle- 
hem, or Nazareth as the birthplace of Mary. 
Each of these cities has laid claim to the honor, 



THE POOL OF BETHSAIDA 63 



and the claim of each has found supporters at 
one period or another. 

A niche in the crypt contains an altar with a 
statue of the Immaculate Conception; and to 
the right is shown a tiny cradle wherein reposes 
a doll wrapped in swaddling-clothes and adorned 
with ribbons and lace. This is intended as a 
representation of Mary Immaculate, the pure 
lily among thorns, the most lovely infant that, 
up to the time of her birth, had ever gladdened 
earth with its beautiful presence. 

But little time could be spent by each party in 
the crypt, as the space was small and the pilgrims 
many, but we were satisfied under the circum- 
stances, and Mary well knew the love that was 
in our hearts and how gladly all would have lin- 
gered if they might. On leaving the church, 
refreshments were hospitably provided by the 
White Fathers, and we again enjoyed the music 
of the band. In the court I gathered a little 
branch of wild pepper, whose feathery foliage 
and red berries are particularly beautiful. We 
next turned our steps toward the Pool of Beth- 
saida (*), where Our Lord healed the infirm man 



64 THE CAVE OF JEREMIAS 



who had been suffering thirty-eight years. Tablets 
bearing in many languages the Gospel account 
of this miracle hang on the wall of the passage 
leading to the tank which is approached by several 
steps, but is now quite dry. Ruins of old walls 
and broken columns he scattered about the Pool. 

Leaving the Pool of Bethsaida we went out 
by the gate of St. Stephen through the Valley of 
Josaphat (*), and turning to the northeast, reached 
the spot whence Godfrey de Bouillon is said to 
have made his first onslaught on the holy city, 
1099 A.D. From this a footpath between 
stone walls brought us to the cave of Jeremias, 
the largest and most imposing of any that we 
visited. It is forty feet in length, thirty-five in 
width, and its circumference is one hundred 
and thirty. Here the Prophet is believed to have 
composed his Lamentations six hundred years be- 
fore the coming of Our Lord. The grotto, 
which is venerated alike by Christians, Jews, and 
Mohammedans, contains a stone ledge or bench, 
eight or ten feet in height, called the bed of 
Jeremias ; and also the tomb of the Sultan Ibra- 
him. In the fifteenth century the cave was 



THE CAVE OF JEREMIAS 65 



guarded by Turkish monks, who had a convent 
here, but the keys of the entrance are now kept 
by a dervish. We returned by the gate of 
Damascus to our beloved hospice, and there 
attended Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, 
which is given daily at 6.30 P.M. Afterwards 
came a well earned supper and repose. 

What do people eat and drink in Jerusalem? 
somebody will ask, for although the consideration 
of such mundane matters is supposed to form 
no part of the exercises of a pilgrimage, it is 
interesting to learn how people live in the Far 
East. What the food of the natives may be 
I do not know; we were served both at dinner 
and supper with two dishes of meat — generally 
mutton — with vegetables and salad, followed 
by fresh figs or grapes as dessert. A cup of black 
coffee never fails to appear at every meal, and 
the really excellent wine provided is drunk of 
necessity, for good, pure water is not to be had, 
nor much of any quality, more especially at this 
season. Palestine is not blessed with anything 
like our clear, cold mountain and glacier streams 
and rivers. The water supply of the holy city 



66 THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS 



is obtained from rain and surface drainage care- 
fully hoarded in cisterns without the walls, and 
brought into Jerusalem in dirty tin vessels and 
bottles made of pigskin. Of course those who 
like it take it, and I hope it may be for their good. 
It would certainly have conduced to one's personal 
comfort if a little more of the precious fluid might 
have been allowed for washing purposes, but as 
this was apparently impossible, I accepted the 
very short measure doled out with the best grace 
I could under the circumstances, and as a penance 
due to my sins. Being blessed with the best of 
health, and in all respects well looked after, I 
had but little mortification or suffering of any 
kind to endure. 

Z\t Stations; of t%t Cross 

September 9th. — This morning my father and 
I received holy communion in the grotto of 
Gethsemani (t) — but I will describe the sanctu- 
ary later on, only remarking here that I preferred 
it to any I had yet seen, and that I continually 
returned to it in thought. The sky was overcast 
as we returned through the town, and the clouds 



THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS 67 



were so black and heavy, that I expected a thunder 
storm, but no such thing is to be feared in Jerusa- 
lem — at this season at all events. After breakfast 
we all went in procession to make the Way of the 
Cross. Never had I made that wonderf ul 4 c Way ' ' 
with such devotion and recollection. Who would 
attempt to express the emotions of compassion, 
contrition, gratitude and love which filled the 
hearts of His faithful children as they followed 
the route once stained and consecrated by the 
precious blood of Our Redeemer! We went first 
to the chapel of the Scourging (t), which stands 
on the Via Dolorosa, opposite the judgment hall 
of Pilate. The Franciscans are building a 
beautiful church to be dedicated under the same 
title, close to the present chapel of the Scourging. 
The work is done by Arabs under the direction 
of a Franciscan Father, and all the materials 
employed are brought into the city on the backs 
of donkeys and camels, because no wheeled 
vehicle ever traverses the streets of Jerusalem. 
Donkeys and camels are most useful, and indeed 
necessary, in the East, as beasts of burden. The 



68 THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS 



camel is capable of carrying as heavy a load 
as a horse can draw. 

The present chapel of the Scourging is surround- 
ed by high walls and entered by a narrow door. 
Several lamps are kept burning under the high 
altar, illuminating a marble tablet on which are 
inscribed in letters of gold the words: "Here 
Christ was scourged. " 

From the chapel we went in procession, reciting 
the Rosary as we went, to Mount Antonia, the 
First Station. We were accompanied by two 
policemen, whose business it was to keep order 
and drive back the inevitable beggars and street 
vendors. This they accomplished by the utterance 
of sharp cries of warning, or, where these proved 
unavailing, by still sharper applications of their 
leather whips. These drastic measures were 
accepted as matters of course by the various 
groups of Jews, Turks, and Arabs who gathered 
about us, gazing with curiosity, but making no 
attempt to distract our devotions. The Prsetor- 
iurn was a court in the castle of Antonia, the great 
Roman citadel that dominated the Temple from 
the northeast. It is now appropriated as 



THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS 69 



barracks to the use of the Turkish soldiers. In 
the court (t) outside these barracks we knelt, 
while the priest who conducted the devotions 
recited the prayers for the First Station: "Jesus 
is condemned to death. " 

From the tribunal Our Lord was led down a 
flight of marble steps, which three centuries later 
was taken by the Empress Helena to Rome, where 
it is still venerated at St. John Lateran as the 
Scala Santa. Its former position may still be 
traced in the barracks. At the foot of the stair- 
case a cross on the wall marks the position of 
the Second Station: "Jesus is laden with His 
cross." Passing through the narrow street 
of Mary, about forty paces brings us to a stone 
arch built across the street, which is known as 
the arch of the Ecce Homo(t). From its summit 
Pilate exhibited Our Lord after the scourging, 
clad in a purple robe and crowned with thorns, 
as a mock king to the maddened crowd below 
with the words: "Behold the Man." Here 
stands the convent of Notre Dame de Sion 
founded by Father Ratisbonne. The street of 
Mary leads into the Damascus street, and here, 



70 THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS 



opposite the beautiful Austrian hospice, we pause 
at the place of the Third Station, where an inscrip- 
tion on the wall declares that: "Here Jesus fell 
under the cross the first time." 

About one hundred and twenty feet further 
south the scene of the Fourth Station is marked 
by a small chapel (*) belonging to the Armenian 
Catholics. Here, as usual, we find an inscription : 
" The Blessed Virgin meets her Divine Son carrying 
His cross. " Seventy feet from this, at the entrance 
of a street running westwards, is the Fifth Station : 
" Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry His cross. " 
Here also is a small chapel, and here the way 
begins to ascend. Presently we reach the Sixth 
Station: "Veronica wipes the face of Jesus." 

Another ascent, and at the Judgment Gate(*), 
so-called because, under a somber archway, 
criminals condemned to death had the sentence 
again read over to them, a chapel belonging to 
the Franciscans marks the place of the Seventh 
Station: "Jesus falls a second time under the 
cross." This was formerly the last Station 
inside the walls; but since the enlargement of the 
city, all are included within its limits. 



THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS 71 



We continued our way through Bazar street 
to the street of the Christians, and made the 
Eighth Station before a sign on the wall: "Jesus 
consoles the women of Jerusalem." The path 
leading to the Ninth Station was blocked, so we 
retraced our steps, and taking the first street on 
our right, which runs toward the south, presently 
reached the foot of a flight of twenty steps. 
Mounting these we found ourselves in a street 
terminating in the residence of the Coptic bishop. 
A broken column at the entrance of this house 
is the place of the Ninth Station: "Jesus falls 
the third time." 

The last five stations are in the church of the 
Holy Sepulcher, and in order to reach the entrance 
we had to descend the steps we had just mounted, 
turn back through several streets, and at last 
enter a narrow doorway which brought us to 
the space immediately surrounding the church. 

Penetrated with awe and reverence we ascended 
the stairway that leads to Golgotha, and made 
the Tenth Station where an inscription on the 
ground informs us that here: " Jesus was stripped 
of His garments" (*). 



n THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS 



A few feet to the east we find the altar of the 
Nailing to the Cross (f), and here a square in 
the pavement is marked with an inscription in 
mosaic: "Here Jesus was nailed to the cross." 
Fifteen feet to the northeast is the altar of the 
Crucifixion, belonging to the schismatic Greeks, 
who own the northern portion of Mount Calvary. 
Behind this altar is erected a large crucifix with 
figures of Our Lady and St. John standing at 
its foot, both wearing golden crowns; and under 
it a silver plate engraven with the words : " Here 
is the venerable place where was planted the holy 
cross." It was with intense devotion and most 
fervent gratitude that we made the Twelfth 
Station: "Jesus dies upon the cross." 

We could spend but a few precious moments 
there, as it were under the very shadow of the 
cross; but what moments they were! Moments 
whose memory can never be effaced, even by 
the experiences of after years, be their joys and 
sorrows what they may. 

Between the altar of the Nailing to the Cross 
and that of the Crucifixion stands a small altar 
dedicated to the Mater Dolorosa (*) and belong- 



THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS 73 



ing to the Latins. There we made the Thirteenth 
Station: "Jesus is taken down from the cross 
and laid in the arms of His Blessed Mother." 
Then we descended the steps to the chapel of the 
Holy Sepulcher, and made the last Station: 
<( Jesus is laid in the tomb"(t). 

We had been two hours in going over the Via 
Dolorosa, which is truly a sorrowful way when 
traversed by Christians in Jerusalem, where 
one follows in spirit Our Lord Himself laden 
with His cross, and seems almost to hear the 
shouts and cries of His enemies. 

The distance between the castle of Antonia 
and the summit of Mount Calvary is really a 
walk of eight or ten minutes ; but not only did we 
pause for the devotions at each Station, but our 
kind guide, the Franciscan Father Franz Schmidt, 
gave a most edifying and interesting little lecture 
at every halting-place. If only the Stations on 
the Via Dolorosa were the property of true Cath- 
olics! But, like nearly all the holy places in 
Jerusalem, they are in the hands of heretics and 
schismatics. The children of the Church may 
visit them only, as it were, on sufferance. The 



74 



ECCE HOMO 



Franciscans, however, make the Stations here 
every Friday. 

€ttt fyomo anu £>t. grtepfjen's Cfcurct) 

In the afternoon we visited the church of the 
Ecce Homo, belonging to the convent of Notre 
Dame de Sion, situated at the place where Pilate 
showed Our Lord to the people crowned with 
thorns, and the high priests, with their adherents, 
shouted: 4 'Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" This 
church and convent were founded by the Rev. 
Father Alphonse Marie de Ratisbonne, and the 
building, begun in 1859, was finished in 1868. 
The style of the church is plain to severity. It is 
divided into middle and side aisles, and over the 
high altar stands a fine statue of Christ bound 
and crowned with thorns. Over this altar also 
rises an arch called the Ecce Homo Arch, with 
an inscription: "Away with Him!" written 
upon it in Greek. I liked this church particularly, 
and wished to visit it a second time. 

We went into the convent, where refreshments 
were provided, and bought rosaries made by the 
orphan children of the institution. On leaving 



THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 75 



Notre Dame de Sion we went by the gate of St. 
Stephen to a bare-looking Turkish cemetery on 
the eastern slope of Mount Moria. Here our 
policeman pointed out to us the graves of his 
parents. The tombs in this cemetery — com- 
posed of square stones laid one beside the other 
and supporting rectangular columns each sur- 
mounted by a stone fez — were scattered about 
in very irregular and disorderly fashion. We 
had to scramble among them, making our way as 
best we could. Here and there we encountered 
a woman closely veiled seated by a tomb. On 
leaving this dreary burial-place we passed the 
grotto of Jeremias, and took our way up a wide 
dusty street in order to visit the new church of 
St. Stephen, built by the French Dominicans. 
Its walls are adorned with fine pictures in mosaic. 
Close to the church is a college for the pursuit 
of biblical studies. From this place we could see 
the Swiss flag waving over our hospice, to which, 
tired but very happy, we were glad to return. 

Wqt $ount of <&\fot% 

Sept. 10th. — Any one who wishes to make 
excursions in Palestine will do well to start be- 



76 THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 



times, for it is unwise to remain out after 10 A. M., 
when the great heat begins to make itself felt. 
To-day we were to visit Mount Olivet and its 
many sanctuaries, and were wending our way 
past the gate of Damascus, by the colossal re- 
mains of the ancient walls, through the gate of 
St. Stephen, and up the valley of Josaphat by 
early dawn — in fact before sunrise. We crossed 
the bed of the Cedron, now quite dry, meeting 
only heavily-laden camels and donkeys on their 
way to the city. Except for these the road was 
entirely deserted at that early hour. The light 
broke as we approached our destination, until 
at last the sun rose in golden glory over the holy 
mount. The spectacle was one of surpassing 
loveliness. The coloring of the Eastern skies 
is more delicate, and presents a greater variety 
of tints than elsewhere. The rising of the moon, 
as I watched it from my window at the hospice 
in the evenings, was almost as beautiful as the 
sunrise in the mornings. I find the mere rec- 
ollection enchanting even now. 

The path we followed after crossing the Cedron 
was that which had been so often trodden by 



THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 



71 



Our Lord in company with His Apostles. By 
this road He went out to Gethsemani on that 
last Holy Thursday evening; here He gave them 
the last instructions they were to receive before 
His death; here He took His Loving farewell of 
those who so shortly afterwards, "leaving Him, 
fled away." Over this path He passed again 
that night, on His return to Jerusalem in the midst 
of His enemies bound as a malefactor, scoffed at 
and derided by the men whom He had come to 
save; while loud curses, fierce outcries, the flash 
of weapons, and the glare of torches, broke upon 
the peaceful quiet of Mount Olivet. We crossed 
a bridge and were shown in the dry bed of what 
was once "the torrent of Cedron'' ' a stone bearing 
the distinct impression of a human knee, which 
is said by tradition to have been left by Our 
Lord when brutally pushed down by His captors 
while crossing the stream. The Yen. Anne 
Catherine Emmerich, speaking of this incident, 
truly remarks that the very rocks bore testi- 
mony to nature's faith in the Divinity of the 
Redeemer, and showed themselves less obdurate 
than were the hearts of men. 



78 THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 



Moving eastwards we reached, at about one 
hundred feet to the right, a flight of steps leading 
to the church of the Sepulcher of Mary. JThe 
space before this church is paved with square 
stones, and a little farther on a descent of nine 
steps brought us to the grotto of Gethsemani. 
Here Jesus passed through that awful agony 
which many believe to have been the most ter- 
rible of all the terrible sufferings of His Passion. 
The Gospel tells the story simply and touchingly, 
and makes no mention of a grotto, but the cave 
in which we now knelt has always been held in 
veneration by the faithful as that which sheltered 
Our Lord during the agony and bloody sweat. 
A church was built over the grotto by the early 
Christians, and was still in existence in the time 
of St. Jerome. Sewulf visited it, so he tells us, 
in 1102; and it served as a church during the 
period of the Crusades under its original title of 
Holy Savior. 

The Franciscans have celebrated Mass here 
daily since 1393. The grotto of Gethsemani (f) 
is a cave hewn out of the rock, which is now nearly 
black. It has been allowed to retain its natural, 



THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 



79 



irregular form, and in size is eighteen yards long 
by nine broad, and is about twelve feet high. It 
is lighted by an opening in the roof. The high 
altar stands at the end of the grotto exactly over 
the spot where, as is believed, Our Lord suffered 
His agony and bloody sweat. On the right a 
tablet of black marble is let into the wall bearing, 
in gold letters, the inscription (in Latin) : "Here 
His sweat fell like drops of blood, ' ' and over the 
altar is hung a fine oil painting of our suffering 
Redeemer being consoled by an angel. Two 
more altars stand one on either side of the high 
altar. Lamps are kept continually burning here, 
and Masses were being said all the time we were 
in the grotto. We received holy communion at 
the high altar: 4 4 Here" where "His sweat fell 
like great drops of blood to the ground. ' ? That 
"here" pierces the heart of the Christian as 
with a golden dart; it compels one to fall pros- 
trate in prayer. And to pray is easy here. Far 
from the noise and bustle of the world, apart from 
unbelievers, shut in from all that is scandalous 
or offensive, we can unite our feeble prayer with 



80 



THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 



that of our divine Lord. One would gladly 
remain here forever. 

But we belonged to a body of pilgrims, and 
must go on to the garden of Gethsemani, which 
is separated from the grotto by a narrow footpath. 
This place, so often visited by Our Lord, is under 
the care of the Franciscans, who have converted 
it into a flower garden. It is surrounded by a 
wall whereon are hung the Stations of the Cross. 
Eight olive trees in the center of the garden, which 
are undeniably of great age, are said to have been 
offshoots of those under which the Savior of 
mankind rested, prayed, and instructed His 
Apostles. The numerous saplings or shoots 
which spring up year after year from the roots 
of the olive, if not removed, intertwine with one 
another and the parent stock until they altogether 
form one immense, short, crooked trunk. From 
these massive stems the branches grow out like thin 
rods. The beautiful Franciscan garden with its 
blooming flowers and flourishing trees is a little 
paradise, an oasis in the midst of the parched and 
dusty desert by which it is surrounded. We took 
breakfast here in a large grotto that has been 



THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 



81 



transformed into a summer-house. Outside the 
garden, to the right, a path some sixteen yards 
in length terminates at a spot called the Treason 
of Judas (f). Hence we ascended by a steep 
and stony way through dust and rubbish to the 
summit of Mount Olivet. Although still early 
in the forenoon the sun beamed hotly, and 

<s From the heated brow 
Sweat is pouring now." 

Three roads lead to Mount Olivet. Half an 
hour's walk brought us to the top and to the 
Mosque of the Ascension, which stands over the 
spot whence Our Lord ascended into heaven. 
A church mentioned by both Eusebius and St. 
Jerome was built here by St. Helena, and rebuilt 
by Modestus, bishop of Jerusalem, after its de- 
struction by Chosroes. A Benedictine convent 
stood on Mount Olivet in the time of Charle- 
magne; it was afterwards destroyed, probably by 
Saracens, and restored by the Crusaders. Later 
on the convent was demolished and the church 
desecrated and converted into a mosque, which 
is surrounded by a wall of rough stones. Enter- 



82 



THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 



Log at the eastern side we found ourselves in an 
octagonal building from twenty to twenty-two 
feet wide, and covered by a dome. Light is ad- 
mitted by three small windows, but the walls are 
bare and the place empty. There is no sanctu- 
ary, no altar, nothing to mark it as a building 
dedicated to the worship of God. A mass of 
chalk bearing the imprint of the left foot of Our 
Lord is covered with marble, chiseled out to per- 
mit the footmark to be seen. Once a year, on 
Ascension Day, the Franciscans are allowed to 
offer the Holy Sacrifice on the spot whence Our 
Lord ascended. The good Fathers pitch tents 
here on that day, but Mass is celebrated in the 
mosque itself. We left the sanctuary, our hearts 
a clung at the thought that it was in the hands 
of unbelievers, and that Christians may only 
visit as strangers what, by all titles, ought to be 
a church of their own. 

To the north of the mosque of the Ascension 
stands a Russian church, whose tower is visited 
by tourists and others for the sake of a magnifi- 
cent view to be obtained from its summit over 
Jerusalem and the "hill country" as far as the 



THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 



83 



Dead Sea. We were satisfied to enjoy almost 
the same view from its foot. Toward the west 
lay the Valley of Josaphat with its large burial- 
places; beyond rose Mount Moria and the 
beautiful dome of the Mosque of Omar; and 
further still lay the whole city of Jerusalem 
stretched out like an amphitheater. To the 
south, on the road to Bethlehem, we could see 
the convent of Elias with its towers, the Valley 
of Raphaim, the convent of Poor Clares, the rail- 
way station, the hill of Evil Counsel, and the 
Valley of Hinnom with the Potter's Field. To 
the south also rose the Hill of Offense, which is 
a portion of Mount Olivet. The desert of 
Judea stretches eastward to the Jordan and 
southeast as far as the Dead Sea, while like a 
gigantic wall, framing the picture on all sides, 
ran the long chain of mountains whose southwest- 
ern termination is that same sea of doom. The 
southern portion of the panorama is too grand 
ever to be forgotten. Descending the eastern 
slope of Mount Olivet we came to a little chapel, 
the property of the Franciscans, and to Beth- 
phage, whence Our Lord made his solemn entry 



84 



THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 



into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. From Beth- 
phage we could see, lying at the foot of Mount 
Olivet, the village of Bethany, home of Martha 
and Mary and of their brother Lazarus, who 
was there raised to life by Our Lord. As we 
walked along the ridge of Mount Olivet toward 
the Carmelite convent of the Pater Noster, which 
takes its name from a tradition that the building 
stands on the spot where Our Lord taught the 
Lord's Prayer to His disciples, we were refreshed 
by a cool breeze. The Duchess La Tour d'Au- 
vergne built the church and convent in 1869, 
and gave them to the Carmelites in 1876. Thirty- 
two stone tablets, on each of which is written 
the Pater Noster in a different language, are 
affixed to the wall of one of the convent cloisters, 
and a monument in white marble has been 
erected here to the memory of the Duchess, 
who died in 1891. 

From this cloister we proceeded to the church (f) , 
which is built in the Roman style. On the west- 
ern slope of Mount Olivet we came to the chapel 
Dominusflevit :" The Lord wept " (*) , and venerat- 
ed the spot where Jesus shed tears over Jerusalem. 



THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 



85 



A good view of the city is obtained from the shady 
garden which lies before the sanctuary, and we 
rested there for a while, as He had done, to gaze 
upon the city of His love, imposing still, although 
it has been several times besieged and partially 
destroyed since the day when Our Lord looked 
down upon it from Mount Olivet. The mighty 
walls by which Jerusalem is surrounded give an 
idea of strength and power. Thousands of 
housetops rising irregularly, and apparently in 
heaps from the narrow streets, are surmounted 
by the minarets and steeples of innumerable 
mosques and churches, with the beautiful domes 
of the church of the Holy Sepulcher and the 
Mosque of Omar majestically dominating all. 
While resting in the garden we saw a funeral 
going on in the Jewish cemetery on the western 
slope of the mountain. The corpse, wrapped 
in white linen, was carried on a bier by two men. 
On reaching the grave the body was laid within 
it, and then what seemed to me a most dreadful 
scene began. The few mourners, joining hands 
with the gravediggers, danced in a circle round 
the open grave like so many heathens. How 



86 



THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 



long this lasted I do not know, for after watching 
it for some time with feelings of mingled sadness 
and disgust, we left the garden, impressed by the 
contrast afforded by this Jewish burial and the 
reverent and consoling ceremonies of the true 
Church. 

A steep and rocky path brought us to the 
beautiful Russian church of St. Magdalen with 
its seven golden cupolas, built by the Czar in 
1888. Then we returned to the garden of 
Gethsemani, and visited the church of the Sepul- 
cher of Our Lady, which we had been unable 
to enter in the morning as the Greek service was 
going on. St. Helena, zealous for the adornment 
of all the holy places, erected a beautiful church 
over the burial-place of Mary. The Caliph 
Omar, who took Jerusalem in 636, went twice 
to pray within its walls. It was visited by St. 
Willibald in the eighth century, and the monk 
Bernard mentions the sanctuary as existing in 
the ninth. Godfrey de Bouillon founded a 
Benedictine convent here, but after the Crusades 
the latter was demolished by the infidels, as was 
also the church which stood over the tomb. That 



THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 87 



of the crypt containing the sepulcher was spared 
out of reverence for the Mother of Jesus, who is 
held in high honor by the Moslems. The deserted 
sanctuary was purchased by the Franciscans in 
1363. Some time later the Greeks accused the 
monks of having sold the body of Our Lady to 
the Pope, and on this pretext possessed themselves 
of the church. It reverted again to the Francis- 
cans and changed hands more than once before 
1757, when it was again seized by the Greeks 
in defiance of all right, and has been held by 
them ever since. 

A descent of forty steps leads to the church, 
which was in utter darkness, and we were each 
provided with a candle, by whose feeble light we 
had to grope our way. SS. Ann and Joachim (*) 
are buried in this grotto, and we presently reached 
the tombs of the parents of Our Lady in a little 
chapel to the right containing two altars. Here 
also are the graves of St. Joseph and the aged 
Simon. An altar belonging to the schismatic 
Copts stands at the end of the staircase. At 
last we reached the sepulcher of Our Lady, but 
could see very little owing to the bad light, and 



88 THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 



we remained here only a short time. The tomb, 
hewn out of the rock, is about three feet in 
height, and is encased in marble (t). The Copts 
and Greeks have each a chapel, and the Moham- 
medans a place of prayer in this church of the 
Sepulcher of Mary. Only the orthodox Catho- 
lics are without an altar they may call their own. 
The place did not excite me to fervor and I left 
it without regret, but not without a feeling of strong 
indignation. It is exasperating to think that even 
the empty tomb of our Mother should belong to 
any but her children. May that dear Mother 
around whose sepulcher Greek, Syrian, and infidel 
kneel in prayer, bring them all back to the bosom 
of the one true Church ! 

We met many lepers in the neighborhood of 
this church and near the garden and the grotto 
of Gethsemani. Although hospitals have been 
provided in Jerusalem for these poor creatures, 
they obstinately refuse to avail themselves of such 
friendly shelter, preferring to live in freedom and 
win a scanty subsistence by begging. Men, 
women, and children, in every stage of the loath- 
some disease, lay or crouched in the dust under 



MOUNT SION— THE CENACLE 89 



the hot sun, clothed in rags and shaking tin boxes 
at the passer-by, while crying " baksheesh " with 
horrible, screeching voices, whose appeal was 
far less moving than was the appearance of the 
sufferers. Their faces, half eaten away by their 
dreadful disease, were covered with flies. Some 
were without fingers, some had lost their hands 
— all presented a spectacle gruesome and even 
terrible to look upon. I tried to escape from 
the scene as quickly as possible, and threw some 
money to the miserable creatures with face averted 
and a heart penetrated with gratitude to God 
for the precious gift of health. Returning to 
the hospice we passed the place of the stoning of 
St. Stephen (*). It is marked by a mass of chalk. 

ftoutu £>ton — Wqt €mult 

In the afternoon, accompanied by Father 
Franz, we went to Mount Sion. Immediately 
within the Jaffa gate stands what is called "the 
city of David" on the site of the ancient fortress 
of the Jebusites, which was not taken by the 
warrior king until after he had "reigned seven 
years and six months in Hebron. " The heathen 



90 



MOUNT SION— THE CENACLE 



fortress was enlarged by the conqueror, who 
erected a palace and other buildings on Mount 
Sion, whence this addition to Jerusalem came 
to be known as the city of David. Herod the 
Great built a magnificent palace and laid out 
gardens for himself which he enclosed with a wall 
and guarded with three immense towers on the 
north side. These towers he called after his 
brother Hippicus, his friend Phasael, and his 
wife Mariamne. Only two of them remain. 
They were left standing by the Romans after 
the destruction of Jerusalem as evidences of the 
great strength of the city. The citadal is surround- 
ed by a deep ditch, and occupies, with this ditch 
and the walls, a space measuring about one 
hundred and fifty yards from north to south, 
and about one hundred and twenty-five from 
east to west. 

Some of the stones used in the construction of 
the citadel are from thirteen to nineteen feet long, 
and from four to five and a half wide. It is truly 
a colossal building, and gazing on its strength 
and solidity, apparently so indestructible, it is 
easy to understand why Mary is invoked in the 



MOUNT SIOX — THE CENACLE 9\ 



Litany as Turris Davidica, — the spiritual fortress 
which not all the armies of Satan might hope to 
overcome. The citadel has been converted into 
an arsenal, whence the cannon are fired at the 
beginning and end of the fast of Ramadan. It 
was not open to strangers. We presently came 
to the Armenian convent, the largest in Jerusalem, 
with its magnificent church dedicated to St. 
James. Here everything glitters with gold; the 
altars are richly decorated; precious carpets cover 
the ground; lamps and ostrich eggs suspended 
on cords of red silk hang from the ceilings; and 
massive candelabra of gigantic size support 
candles of painted wax. A mysterious light is 
shed upon the church from the large dome, and 
the place is pervaded everywhere by an atmos- 
phere of Oriental luxury. 

Through a door covered with mosaics in tor- 
toise-shell and mother-of-pearl we entered a side 
chapel, which stands over the place where Herod 
"killed James, the brother of John, with the 
sword "(*). The Armenian convent (of nuns), 
separated from the church of St. James by a 
narrow street, occupies the site of the palace of 



92 MOUNT SION— THE CENACLE 



Annas, the father-in-law of the high priest Caia- 
phas, to which Jesus was led after His betrayal (*). 
Close by a small dark building is shown as that 
wherein Our Lord was confined, probably during 
the hours that intervened before He was sent by 
the priests to Pilate. The palace of Caiaphas 
adjoined that of Annas at the time of Our Lord, 
but the two sites are separated now by the city 
wall. Another Armenian convent stands here, 
where the chief object of interest is the court in 
which St. Peter denied His Master. 

Our next halt was made at a sanctuary which, 
in the heart of every devout Christian, must 
stand second only to the church of the Holy 
Sepulcher. This it what once was called, and 
is still known among Christians as the Cenacle, 
and by its Mohammedan owners as the mosque 
of the tomb of David. Through a small court 
we reached a building whose exterior is anything 
but inviting. It was a great favor that we were 
allowed to proceed so far. But by special per- 
mission and the use of "baksheesh" we were even 
permitted to ascend to the chamber, accompanied 
by two or three Turkish soldiers. Here, in 1342, 



MOUNT SION— THE CENACLE 



93 



the Franciscans raised a church over the site of 
the house wherein was "the large upper room 
furnished, " wherein Our Lord ate the last pasch 
with His disciples; where the Blessed Sacrament 
was instituted, and the Holy Ghost descended 
upon the members of the infant Church on the 
Day of Pentecost. According to tradition the 
house of the Cenacle belonged at the time of Our 
Lord to St. Joseph of Arimathea, and was com- 
posed of two stories, in one of which was the 
Cenaculum, or "upper room." But it stood 
upon a portion of the site of the old palace 
of David, and the tombs of that monarch 
and his son Solomon are now enclosed within its 
walls. It is owing to their veneration for these 
tombs that the Turks guard the building so 
jealously, disliking to allow even the visits of 
strangers. 

On the other hand Christians of all denomina- 
tions regard the Cenacle with peculiar reverence 
as the place where Our Lord instituted the Holy 
Eucharist; and also in a less degree, because 
this was the house wherein the early Christians 
were accustomed to hold their meetings, in the 



94 MOUNT SION— -THE CENACLE 



very beginning of the Church. William of Tyre 
tells us that it was always looked upon as the 
Mother Church. According to St. Epiphanius, 
who lived in the fourth century, this sanctuary 
was spared at the destruction of Jerusalem by 
Titus, and was converted into a church in the 
reign of Hadrian. St. Helena built a church 
here and two monasteries. The Pilgrim of 
Bordeaux, writing in 333, says: "I remarked 
in the Cenacle the column at which Christ was 
scourged "(*). 

In a letter to St. Eustaehia St. Jerome tells 
her that (i In the church of the Cenacle St. Paula 
venerated the pillar at which Our Lord Jesus 
Christ was scourged, and on which may still be 
seen the stains of His blood. ' ? St. Arculf in the 
seventh century. St. Willibald in the eighth, and 
Bernard the Wise in the ninth, all mention the 
same tradition. When Sewulf visited Jerusalem 
in the eleventh century he found only the ruins 
of the Cenacle remaining, but it was rebuilt during 
the Crusader. After every vicissitude it has 
always been restored to its original form, re- 
taining the traditional two stories. The lower 



MOUNT SION— THE CENACLE 95 



church consists of a middle and side aisles, each 
terminating in an apse. The upper church is 
surmounted by a dome, and has one large apse. 
The Augustinians were in charge of the sanctuary, 
and held all their services here until its destruction 
by the Saracens in 1187. It was restored to the 
Christians in 1191, when Acre was taken from 
the infidels; and Willibrand of Oldenburg, who 
visited the Holy Land in 1212, speaks of a large 
and beautiful convent on Mount Sion occupied 
by Syrians who showed to pilgrims the scene 
of the Last Supper. The Franciscans came to 
Mount Sion in 1219, but were soon driven out; 
nor were they able to obtain a permanent footing 
until 1333, when they founded a convent and 
erected the present church, using the materials 
employed in the former building, many of whose 
columns still remain. From this time until 1448 
the monks had much to endure from the jealous 
fanaticism of the infidels who coveted possession 
of the royal tombs. At that date they contrived 
to enter the church under pretence of praying at 
the sepulcher of David, and so well did they 
manage that a few years later, in 1550, they drove 



96 MOUNT SION— THE CENACLE 



out the Friars and converted the church into a 
mosque, still however retaining the two stories. 

A stone stairway brought us to the chamber 
of the Last Supper (f), a room about forty-five 
feet long, and rather more than twenty-nine wide. 
It is built in good style, and divided by pillars, 
but is entirely without ornament. We could 
remain here only a few minutes, for the Turkish 
guardian of the place stood at the door impatiently 
shaking his keys, and no opportunity was allowed 
of satisfying our devotion in any way. We might 
not kneel, nor kiss the ground, nor say a Pater 
Noster aloud. The gentlemen might not even 
remove their hats ! We had to stand there gazing 
at the bare walls of the sanctuary — and such a 
sanctuary! — as if we had been sight-seers in- 
specting the curiosities of a museum. Oh, those 
Turks ! If I had a sword at my side I would draw 
it like St. Peter! 

Here, on the spot where the Most Blessed Sacra- 
ment, whence emanates all life, and strength, and 
grace, was instituted, everything was cold, empty, 
unadorned. I shall never forget the unutterable 
sadness of it all. Will the time ever arrive 



MOUNT SION— THE CENACLE 97 



when our dear Lord, who celebrated the first 
Mass on the night of the Last Supper, will dwell 
here again, enthroned in the tabernacle, sur- 
rounded by a true guard of honor adoring His glor- 
ious body and that most precious blood which He 
shed so freely for the salvation of the world ! May 
God grant it; the place is desolate enough now. 

From the chamber of the Last Supper an ascent 
of eight steps leads to the tomb of David, and an- 
other stairway to the place of the Washing of the 
Feet(t), but we were not allowed to enter either 
apartment. The two plenary indulgences for- 
merly granted to pilgrims visiting the Cenacle out 
of devotion, as they can no longer be gained here, 
have been transferred to the church of San Salvator, 
so that three may now be gained there. 

We next visited the Dormitio Maria, "The 
Sleep of Mary," where our Blessed Mother died. 
It is situated between the American Protestant 
cemetery and that of the schismatic Greeks, and 
has always been held in high veneration by the 
Christians. During the visit paid to the holy city 
by the German emperor in 1898 on the occasion 
of the consecration of the German church of St. 



98 MOUNT SION — THE CENACLE 



Savior (t), he purchased the Dormitio from the 
Sultan and generously presented it to the German 
Catholics, making choice of the sons of St. Bene- 
dict as custodians of the sanctuary. The ruins 
of an ancient oratory were to be seen here as late 
as 1670. We visited the place and found here the 
commencement of a beautiful church, whose crypt 
is already finished. A magnificent sanctuary will 
rise here to the honor of Mary, and the name of 
the Blessed Mother will be still further glorified 
by the Offices of the Church, which none know 
better how to carry out than the Benedictines. 

Along the haram wall we passed over a rough 
and stony way toward the Valley of Josaphat and 
to Mount Moria. The haram wall is a portion 
of the old wall of the city, and is continued round 
the place of the Temple. Some of the stones used 
in its construction are enormous. Many that we 
saw were more than twenty feet square and three 
feet in thickness, and were laid one upon another 
without mortar. At the northeastern corner of 
the wall a tower still standing and over one hundred 
and sixty feet high is said by tradition to be the 
pinnacle of the Temple whence Satan tempted 



MOUNT SION— THE CENACLE 99 



Our Lord to throw Himself down. It was former- 
ly very much higher, or rather its height was for- 
merly greater, but more than half of it is buried 
under the debris which covers the whole of the 
ancient Jerusalem. Further on toward the east 
we saw the Golden Gate, through which Our 
Lord made His triumphal entry on Palm Sunday. 
This gate has been built up by the Turks on ac- 
count of a prediction to the effect that the Chris- 
tians will some day enter by it to take possession 
of the holy city. They have thus unwittingly 
fulfilled the prophecy of Ezechiel, declaring the 
Lord to have said to him that this gate would be 
kept shut, and would never more be opened, 
because the Lord God of Israel passed through it. 
From the Tower of the Temptation on the eastern 
side of Mount Moria we looked down into the 
Valley of Josaphat with its many tombs, and 
across to Mount Olivet, which we had visited in 
the morning. Mount Olivet has become very 
dear to me. With its olive and fig-trees, its tere- 
binth and cypresses, it forms such a charming 
contrast to the stony wilderness by which it is 
surrounded on every side. Weary, dusty, and 



100 ST. JOHN IN THE MOUNTAINS 



hot, we returned to our friendly hospice, after a 
day spent in hard study of Jerusalem. 

Sept 11th. — The little town of St. John which 
we were to visit to-day lies in a well-cultivated 
valley at a distance of a two hours' drive from 
Jerusalem, to the southwest. As early as 5 A.M. 
twenty carriages, each capable of accommodating 
five persons, stood before the hospice ready to 
convey our division of pilgrims to St. John. 
This drive in the delightful coolness of the early 
morning was alike refreshing to body and mind. 
Father Franz, my father, myself, and another 
lady occupied the last carriage in the long proces- 
sion, and as we drove through the street of the 
suburb, deserted except by heavily-laden donkeys 
and their drivers, or now and then a Bedouin 
sleeping on the bare ground under a wall, the 
stillness was broken only by the rattling of our 
vehicles and the cries of our Arab coachmen. 
The roads around Jerusalem are wide, and had 
been put into a state of repair at the time of the 
emperor's visit, which they had not as yet quite 



ST. JOHN IN THE MOUNTAINS 101 



outlived in 1903. Nevertheless there were cer- 
tain pitfalls and various ups and downs to be 
encountered, which, in conjunction with the 
furious driving dear to the Arab heart, caused the 
carriages to rattle and shake, and their occupants 
to hold on tightly in mortal terror lest they 
be thrown out. Our horses, like all in Jer- 
usalem, were small, slender, and swift. It 
would have been a pleasure to ride behind them 
had they been under the control of reasonable 
drivers, but ours were not reasonable, nor pos- 
sessed of any conscience either. On they drove at 
lightning speed, now up hill, now down. Round 
curves and over trenches we dashed along, paying 
not the slightest attention to obstacles or impedi- 
ments of any kind, expecting every moment to be 
thrown out on the roadside, or to find the carriage 
upset into a ditch. It was a terrible drive. The 
road lay for some distance in a straight line through 
a barren, stony country, but farther on we passed 
fertile hollows and valleys whose slopes were 
covered with large olive plantations. We met 
caravans of donkeys and camels, and women 
carrying grapes into the town. These women 



102 ST. JOHN IN THE MOUNTAINS 



made a pretty picture, wrapped as they were in 
wide garments of coarse dark blue linen, with 
thick white veils that fell back from the face in 
becoming folds. They walk with perfect ease and 
grace, steadying with one hand a large, flat, oval 
basket of grapes carried on the head. Their pale, 
thin, sunburned faces and dark eyes, all framed 
in black hair, add an extraordinary but not un- 
pleasant aspect to the picture. We met no men, 
for women do the work in the East; and I was 
many a time indignant when I met them carrying 
heavy pig-skins filled with water on their backs, as 
if they were no better than beasts of burden. 

In an hour and a half we had had enough of the 
jolt, jolt, jolt of the carriages, and resolved to walk 
the rest of the way, which was particularly steep. 
It was delightful to walk in the early morning, and 
the landscape became pleasanter and showed more 
signs of cultivation as we neared St. John. 
Father Franz pointed out a pathway following the 
course of a dried-up stream, which is said to be 
that traversed by Our Lady when she came " with 
haste to a town in the hill country of Judea" to 
visit her cousin St. Elizabeth. We were most 



ST. JOHN IN THE MOUNTAINS 103 



agreeably surprised by the beauty of the scenery 
immediately around Ain-Karim. Before us lay 
a romantic valley embosomed in mountains, whose 
summits were crowned with little villages and 
their slopes covered with plantations of olive 
trees. Ain-Karim is built on a hill to the east, 
and possesses several churches. The chief, a very 
beautiful one, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, 
stands in a garden planted with cypresses whose 
heads peep over the surrounding wall. Zachary 
and Elizabeth owned two houses in Ain-Karim 
— the one a summer, the other a winter residence. 
A church has been erected on the site of each. 
The church of St. John is built over the house in 
which he was born. It is richly decorated, is 
crowned by a dome supported on four pillars, and 
contains seven altars. Among its treasures is a 
picture by Murillo representing St. John in the 
desert. The walls and pillars are covered to a 
certain height with tiles of painted porcelain. 
Seven marble steps to the left of the high altar 
lead to the grotto of the Nativity of St. John. 
This is hewn out of the rock (t) and receives no 
light from without, but the place is illuminated 



104 ST. JOHN IN THE MOUNTAINS 



by the soft radiance of six lamps which are kept 
continually burning. On a star-shaped tablet 
of white marble are inscribed the words: Hie 
precursor Domini natus est. " Here was born the 
Precursor of the Lord." Here, too, Zachary 
composed the Benedictus which now forms part 
of the Church's liturgy. In the grotto are five 
precious bas-reliefs of white marble, representing 
scenes in the life of St. John. After assisting at 
several Masses and invoking the protection of 
this great saint, we left the church and went to the 
neighboring convent, where we were received 
with great hospitality by the good Franciscans. 
Then we took a ramble to the top of the hill, 
whence we could look down upon the village, and 
obtained some snap-shots of various interesting 
objects and views. In all the streets and at every 
corner of all the streets, we encountered the in- 
evitable vendors of rosaries, crosses, and articles 
in mother-of-pearl, who presented a bold front 
to the invaders, pushing before us and vociferating 
at every step. The children were the most tire- 
some and forward. 

The little town of St. John contains one thous- 



ST. JOHN IN THE MOUNTAINS 105 



and five hundred and thirty inhabitants, of whom 
one thousand two hundred are Mohammedans, 
two hundred and five Latins, one hundred Rus- 
sians, and the rest schismatic Greeks. The 
Franciscan Fathers are in charge of the parish, 
and have a school. On a hill to the right of Ain- 
Karim (St. John's) stands the fine convent of the 
nuns of Notre Dame de Sion, in the midst of shady 
gardens. The sisters have a school and orphanage 
here. We returned to the church of St. John for 
Benediction, and after that service went together, 
reciting the Rosary as we went, to the church of 
St. Elizabeth, situated on a hill at the distance of 
a ten minutes' walk from that of St. John. The 
site of this church is venerated as the "Place of 
the Visitation of Mary." Not far off we found the 
Virgin's Fountain, a fine well covered by a chapel- 
like building. The Blessed Virgin is believed to 
have fetched water for household needs and to 
have quenched her own thirst at this well during 
her stay with her cousin. The fields lower down 
are cultivated very carefully, like gardens, and 
small rivulets trickle everywhere, fertilizing the 
place. The scene was enlivened by the presence 



106 ST. JOHN IN THE MOUNTAINS 



of Arab women who came and went, cleverly 
balancing great earthen water-pots on their heads. 
The way, winding over a little slope, led us to the 
church of the Visitation (*). The care of this 
sanctuary was confided to the Franciscans in 1621, 
but there could have been no church at that time, 
for even now only a temporary chapel stands here, 
built by the friars themselves. Inside the chapel, 
within a niche to the right, is to be seen a rock 
bearing the impression of the form of an infant. 
Tradition declares that on hearing of the massacre 
of the Holy Innocents, Elizabeth fled to the desert 
carrying her little son. She laid him to rest on a 
rock, which yielded to the soft pressure of the babe, 
and became hollow like a cradle for his accommo- 
dation. At the end of the chapel stands the high 
altar consecrated in honor of the second mystery 
of the Rosary and of the Magnificat. Here Mary, 
filled with the Holy Ghost, broke out into that 
heavenly canticle which is now daily sung by 
the Church, and in which the humble handmaid 
of the Lord praises the God who regarded her 
lowliness, uttering the prophecy which is from 
day to day literally fulfilled: "From henceforth 



ST. JOHN IN THE MOUNTAINS 107 



all generations shall call me blessed." Here we, 
too, intoned the Magnificat with all the fervor of 
which we were capable. And with all our enthu- 
siasm, what a stammering we must have made in 
the ears of God and the angels, who had listened 
in this very place to the Magnificat of the Blessed 
Mother! Nevertheless we sang with all our 
hearts: Magnificat! May God be eternally 
praised and magnified for this great grace be- 
stowed upon us of visiting the Holy Land. 

We went once more to St. John the Baptist's, 
and, after partaking of the refreshments offered 
by the hospitality of the Franciscans, felt strength- 
ened for the homeward drive. It was to be less 
uneventful than that of the morning, for one of the 
drivers, a negro, behaved like a madman, driving 
furiously forward in order to get before the others, 
thereby causing great confusion, and even danger, 
three or four carriages sometimes running into 
each other in their endeavor to get out of his way. 
At last one of the other drivers descended from 
his own vehicle, dragged the madman from his 
seat, and administered a beating. Then another 
picked up a large stone to throw at the disturber 



108 ST. JOHN IN THE MOUNTAINS 



of the order of things, and the quarrel was rapidly 
becoming serious when some Turkish policemen 
unexpectedly arrived upon the scene and restored 
peace. The occupants of the negro driver's car- 
riage found seats elsewhere, while the delinquent 
mounted his box and drove rapidly away. Dur- 
ing dinner we received an apology from the Pasha, 
with an assurance that we should not be again 
annoyed in the same way, and that the offending 
driver had been dismissed. Our excursions were 
not quite so bad after that, but furious driving 
and unnecessary lashing of the horses are Orien- 
tal, and had to be borne with. 

In the afternoon my father and I, with Rev. 
Father Raber of Lucerne, rode out to Mount 
Olivet on donkeys. While the gentlemen were 
engaged in taking photographs, I gazed long upon 
Jerusalem, trying to imprint upon my memory a 
picture which I trust may never fade. Our ex- 
pedition came only too soon to an end, but not 
before I had made friends with my little donkey. 
I should have liked to take him home with me. 



CHURCH OF SAN SALVATOR 109 



Clmtcl) ana Contjem of g>an g>albator 

At 3 P.M. we visited the church and convent of 
San Salvator situated on Mount Gareb, at a dis- 
tance of only a few steps from our hospice, but 
within the walls of the city. San Salvator is the 
parish church of Jerusalem, and the convent of 
the same name is the ordinary residence of the 
Reverend Father Provincial of the Franciscans, 
who is styled, by authority of the Holy See, Father 
Custodian of the Holy Land and Prior of Mount 
Sion. The latter title is derived from a convent 
which once stood on the holy mountain but was 
seized by the Turks, and the Friars were driven out 
in 1559. The convent of San Salvator was probably 
built by Vachtang, king of Georgia, and restored 
by the Emperor Justin. It was purchased from 
the Georgians by the Franciscans in 1542, and 
they made it their residence after they had been 
driven from their home on Mount Sion. The 
convent is built with less regard to regularity than 
most European monasteries, but the church has 
been restored, and improvements have been made 
in the house, which can lodge one hundred monks. 



110 



CHURCH AND CONVENT 



The church owes its late restoration, enlargement, 
and embellishment mainly to the generosity of 
the emperor of Austria, Francis Joseph. The 
church is Corinthian in style, and occupies the 
lower story of the building. Two rows of pillars 
divide the nave into middle and side aisles. It 
contains nine altars, and was consecrated by 
Monseigneur Vincent Bracco in 1885. Three 
plenary indulgences may be gained here (ttt)- 
A great number of good works are carried on at 
San Salvator under these indefatigable Franciscan 
Fathers. They have a theological seminary, a 
small college, two schools attended by one hun- 
dred and forty-one boys and one hundred and 
seventy-six girls, an orphanage which shelters 
one hundred and twenty children, and an aux- 
iliary school taught by the Brothers of the Chris- 
tian Schools, but really belonging to the friars. 
Besides all these educational establishments the 
Fathers own a press in which German books are 
printed, an institute for workmen, a public dis- 
pensary, a mill, a macaroni factory, and work- 
shops for blacksmiths, locksmiths, and carpenters. 
All these schools and industrial institutions are 



OF SAN SALVATOR 111 



open to the inspection of strangers, and even the 
most prejudiced observer must feel bound to 
admit, after making such inspection, that the 
Friars Minor who have their dwellings in Pales- 
tine richly deserve their hard-earned title of 
custodians of the Holy Land, as Brother Lievin 
truly remarks. During six and a half centuries 
they have untiringly devoted time, labor, and re- 
sources to the carrying out of the mission confided 
to them by the Holy See, and they have been and 
are equally ready to lay down their lives also in 
defence of that mission whenever they may be 
called upon to do so. The work undertaken by 
the Franciscans in Palestine is: first, the guard- 
ianship of the places sanctified by the visible 
presence, the journeys, and the sacred Passion 
of Our Lord during His life upon earth; second, 
the reception of all pilgrims who visit the Holy 
Land, affording them such succors, spiritual and 
temporal, as may lie within their power; third, 
the spreading of the Gospel in the land where- 
in it was preached by Our Lord Himself. 
When we had seen everything, the little orphan 
boys sang a song in Arabic for our entertain- 



112 THE WALL OF LAMENTATION 



ment. Their voices were clear and strong. 
Last of all we were favored with a personal inter- 
view by the Reverend Father Provincial him- 
self. His careworn countenance bore eloquent 
testimony to the fact that his title of Custodian 
of the Holy Places is anything but an empty 
honor, rather one involving much anxiety and 
suffering. By his desire each pilgrim of our 
company was presented with several precious 
souvenirs — a card to which were attached par- 
ticles of stone or earth from the various sanctuaries 
with three small packets containing stones or earth 
from the holy places; a medal and a rosary made 
of the seeds of the olives that grow in the garden 
of Gethsemani. Each one of us valued highly 
these treasured mementos and all were most grate- 
ful for the kind thought of the venerable donor. 

W$t Catling place or ^ail of ilamentatton 

At 4 P.M. we went to the Wailing Place or 
Wall of Lamentation of the Jews. This remark- 
able spot is a portion of the more ancient wall of 
the Temple which is supposed to be close to the 
former site of the Holy of Holies. The Jews may 




Jewish women at the Wall cf Lamentation. 



THE WALL OF LAMENTATION 113 



not enter the sacred enclosure, but by payment of 
a large sum, their forefathers, many ages ago, 
acquired for themselves and their descendants 
the right to approach as near to it as possible, and 
to touch and kiss the holy stones. The Wailing 
Place is situated on the southwestern side of 
Mount Moria, and hither on Fridays, the eve of 
the Sabbath, flock Jews of both sexes and of every 
age, country, and degree, to wail over the destruc- 
tion of their city and Temple, and lament the 
dispersion of their people. Although provided 
with a guide, it was not without difficulty that we 
found our way to the Wailing Place, for it lay 
through a maze of narrow streets in the most 
intricate quarter of Jerusalem. The Jews had 
already assembled when we reached the spot, and 
no one could look upon the scene we beheld with- 
out finding his heart touched with sorrow and 
reverence. Persons were there attired in every 
variety of costume, some rich in material and 
gaudy in color, others little better than rags. All 
stood before the wall, which is fifty-two yards 
long and fifty-six feet high, some reading their 
prayers from ancient books, others trying to put 



114 THE WALL OF LAMENTATION 



their heads and hands into cracks in the wall and 
whispering words of lamentation the while; others 
again uttering mournful wailings as they leaned 
against the rugged stones. It was a sight to move 
the hardest heart, that poor remnant of a once 
great people mourning over the glories that are 
lost to them forever. We returned through the 
Jewish quarter, which is the dirtiest in the city. 
The narrow streets are heaped with rubbish, so 
that their passage is fraught with a good deal of 
discomfort to strangers. Jews were making their 
way to the Wailing Place from every direction. 
The men, old and young, wore long gabardines of 
various colors — green, blue, red, violet, or yellow, 
and fur caps; and every one was adorned with a 
long thin curl or ringlet hanging from the temples 
over each ear. I was most interested in watching 
the little Jewish boys who, carrying huge books 
under their arms, trotted after their fathers to the 
Wailing Place. The Jews surely deserve honor 
for teaching their little ones early to pray. On 
emerging from the Jewish quarter, which we quit- 
ted without the slightest regret, we came to a 
portion of the city called Muristan. It is laid 



STREET LIFE IN JERUSALEM 115 



out in European fashion; the streets are well 
paved, planted with trees, and lined with good 
shops on either side. A portion of this quarter 
was made over to the Prussians in 1869 and their 
Protestant church, which was consecrated in 
presence of the emperor and empress in 1898, 
stands here. 

We were glad after a very fatiguing day to return 
to the hospice and seek the refreshment of supper 
and sleep. 

&trm ILtfe in Jerusalem 

Before proceeding with the account of our pil- 
grimage, let me attempt to give some description 
of life in the streets of Jerusalem as presented to 
our unaccustomed eyes during our short stay in 
the holy city. 

There are no wide streets in Jerusalem. All 
are narrow, all are paved with cobble-stones most 
unevenly set, nearly all are damp, sunless, and 
dark; for such as are not vaulted or arched over 
are shaded by mats of straw or palm leaves hung 
across from one house to the other, since nothing 
is more dreaded in Palestine than exposure to 



116 STREET LIFE IN JERUSALEM 



the fierce rays of the sun. For the same reason, 
probably, the walls of the houses are broken by 
few windows or doors, while such as are, are 
always closed. The windows, moreover, are set 
high above the street, and closely barred. The 
streets devoted to the sale of merchandise — bazars, 
as they are called — are no wider than the rest, 
and as the goods exposed for sale, of whatever 
description, are hung on the outside walls of the 
house or piled in heaps on the ground, passage 
is a matter of extreme difficulty. The shops are 
small, low, and dark, without doors, and opening 
directly on the pavement. At night the whole 
array is closed in with wooden shutters. Salt, 
coffee, red pepper, spices, oil, sugar, flour, rice, 
all are displayed in old, dirty tin boxes or open 
sacks. Next to the grocer comes a butcher who 
tempts the passer-by with an exhibition of the 
carcasses of sheep, skinned and partly cut up, 
suspended from iron hooks gaily decorated with 
narrow strips of gold paper. Clouds of flies are 
there, hovering over and settling upon everything. 
On the opposite side of the street the shoemaker 
hammers away at his leather; close at his side a 



STREET LIFE IN JERUSALEM 117 



baker fashions dainty little cakes and loaves 
which, before he puts them out of his hands, are 
covered with an army of flies. The odors eman- 
ating from these confections, however appetizing 
they may be to the natives, are not appreciated 
by Europeans. The shops of the fruit merchants 
are really beautiful, and their display of large 
lemons, grapes, figs, and red-cheeked pome- 
granates might have proved too strong a tempta- 
tion to many pilgrims had not the fascinating 
pile been defended by armies of flies. Vendors 
of devotional objects were to be met in full force, 
offering for sale rosaries of mother-of-pearl, 
olive wood, or the seeds of the olive; Jerusalem 
crosses of gold, silver, or mother-of-pearl; cru- 
cifixes cut out of, or inlaid with, mother-of-pearl, 
roses of Jericho, postal-cards — in short all and 
any of the souvenirs strangers might wish to take 
home. The Russian Greeks exposed for sale 
candles of all sizes and prices, probably for 
burning before the altars in the holy places; and 
we remarked particularly the Greek pictures 
of Christ and the Madonna — stiff, richly dec- 
orated figures, with gold backgrounds. The 



118 STREET LIFE IN JERUSALEM 



Greek rosaries are strung on a cord and end in a 
pom-pom instead of a medal or cross. There 
are many cafes in Jerusalem; they are situated 
for the most part where the meeting of the ways 
at cross-roads affords a wider space for the 
accommodation of guests. These sit cross- 
legged upon low stools, smoking their water- 
pipes at intervals, while coffee is served to them 
m tiny cups. 

The streets of Jerusalem everywhere present 
an aspect entirely different to anything that is 
to be seen in Europe. People and things alike 
bear the impress of the East. The thoroughfares 
are too narrow to permit of the passage of wheeled 
carriages, and as we have mentioned previously, 
no vehicle of any kind is to be met within the walls ; 
instead one sees strings of heavily-laden camels 
or donkeys, driven by Arabs. The crowds of 
wayfarers are composed of strong, sunburned 
Bedouins with turbans on their heads, and heavy, 
gaudily-colored linen mantles on their shoulders; 
Jews with the characteristic ringlets over their 
ears; Arab children in dirty dresses; closely- 
veiled Turkish women; Greek popes involumin- 



STREET LIFE IN JERUSALEM 119 



ous black cassocks, and wearing their own very 
peculiar head-dress; importunate vendors of 
crosses and rosaries; water carriers, ragged and 
dirty beggars; policemen in gray -blue uniforms 
wielding leather whips, with here and there a 
Franciscan Friar, or monk of some other Order. 
These all mingle in the dusty, narrow streets, 
and a more motley collection in more uncommon 
setting would be hard to find. The Turkish 
women are extraordinary figures in European 
eyes. Not only do they wear a huge white veil 
that looks like a sheet over the head and shoulders, 
but they cover their faces in addition with a black 
mask. The Greek priests or popes are grave 
and imposing figures. They are usually hand- 
some, tall, and slender, with black eyes and long 
dark hair tied back at the neck. They carry a 
rosary in their fingers which they appear to be 
saying as they walk, even in the streets. The 
Turks dye their finger nails red, and also the 
tails of their horses. The latter practice is said 
to have been adopted in memory of a command 
given by a Turkish sultan to his followers during 
a battle with the Crusaders, to the effect that they 



120 THE VALLEY OF ENNOM AND CEDRON 



were to dye their horses' tails in Christian blood. 
The most disagreeable people to be met with in 
the streets of the holy city are the beggars who 
beset strangers at every corner and church door 
with importunate and vociferous cries of " bak- 
sheesh and the retailers of objects of piety 
are equally tiresome in their way. They pursued 
us in every street with sweet smiles and gestures 
of Oriental politeness, but with obstinate impor- 
tunity none the less. " Catholic, all Catholic, 
and see ! only to look, not to buy!" were the cries 
that followed us everywhere. 

©allei? of Cnnom ana Ce&ron 

September 12th. The morning of this day 
was devoted to exploring the valleys which, 
like huge trenches, surround the city of Jeru- 
salem. Hitherto we had only peered into their 
depths from above. Before starting on this 
expedition my father and I went to the convent 
of the Sisters of the Reparation, opposite the 
hospice, to hear holy Mass. The church belong- 
ing to this convent, in which the Blessed Sacra- 
ment is always exposed, is a very fine one, Gothic 



THE VALLEY OF ENNOM AND CEDRON 121 



in style, and built entirely of stone. The nuns 
wear white habits, veils, and shoes, and blue 
scapulars. Their lives are devoted to works 
of charity and to the Perpetual Adoration of the 
Blessed Sacrament. The good Sisters received 
us with great kindness, and the Reverend Mother 
Superior showed us a terrace on the roof of the 
convent which commands a fine view of Jerusalem. 
Here the community sometimes meet in the 
evening for spiritual reading. One of the 
Sisters is Emma Heiss of Speier, who was a 
fellow pupil of mine at Riedenburg in 1884-1886. 
We were delighted to meet, and I was required 
to answer many questions about our dear old 
Riedenburg. 

Starting for our day's excursion, we went out 
by the Jaffa gate, and took the wide road that 
leads to the railway station for Bethlehem and 
to the valley of Ennom. We passed the Sultan's 
Pond, which, however, was quite dry, and saw 
some women and children engaged in molding 
clay with large round stones — a process interesting 
to watch but not easy of imitation. South of 
this pond is a Jewish settlement gathered round 



122 THE VALLEY OF ENNOM AND CEDRON 



an asylum for destitute Israelites, which was 
founded by Sir Moses Montefiore in 1860. The 
site of this settlement was, in the time of Josephus, 
occupied by a small village called Erebinthon. 
To the southeast of the Sultan's Pond rises a 
hill, upon which two of the leaders of the First 
Crusade pitched their camps. The road now 
became stony, steep, and narrow. On our 
right lay the Hill of Evil Counsel, where Caiaphas 
declared before the Sanhedrim that it was better 
for one man to die than for the whole people to 
perish. On the slope of the mountain we saw 
Haceldama (*),the Potter's Field, purchased by the 
Jewish priests to be a burial-place for strangers 
with the thirty pieces of silver received by Judas 
in payment for his betrayal of his Lord. St. 
Helena had some of the earth from this burial- 
place taken to Rome and deposited in the 
Campo Santo in the eternal city. She also 
enclosed the Potter's Field with a wall. During 
the Crusades shiploads of earth were taken 
hence to Pisa, to make a Campo Santo there. 
The field now belongs to the schismatic Arme- 
nians and is under partial cultivation as an olive 



THE VALLEY OF ENNOM AND CEDRON 123 



grove. The valley of Ennom, or Gehenna, 
to the left of the Potter's field, acquired a miserable 
celebrity in the time of Manasses as the place 
wherein an altar was erected to Moloch, the 
wretched king himself setting an example to his 
people by sacrificing his own sons to the idol. 
The valley is a deep ravine, stony and barren, 
and seems to bear the impress of the curse of 
God. Its sloping sides, however, show clumps 
of ancient olive trees scattered here and there. 
Further on we came to the place now shaded by 
an old elm tree where, according to tradition, 
the Prophet Isaias was sawn in two by order of 
the tyrant Manasses (*). Not far distant is the 
Pool of Siloe, to which the man born blind was 
sent by Our Lord, and coming back gave testi- 
mony to the fact of his cure, saying: "I went, 
I washed, and I see." In the early ages of the 
Church the Pool of Siloe (*) was believed to possess 
great healing powers, and the sick were brought 
hither that they might bathe in its waters. It 
is fifty-two feet long by eighteen wide, and, 
when we saw it, was quite dry. 

Beyond Siloe we came to the Virgin's Well (*), 



124 THE VALLEY OF ENNOM AND CEDRON 



where Our Lady is said to have washed the 
swaddling bands of the divine Infant during her 
stay in Jerusalem at the time of her Purification. 
The well lies at the foot of Mount Ophel, and is 
reached by a flight of steps unceasingly trodden 
by water carriers, who go up and down filling 
the bottles made of goat or pig-skin, which they 
take into the city suspended by a rope on their 
own backs or on those of the little donkeys which 
carry everything in that part of the world. Oppo- 
site to the Well of the Virgin stands the little 
village of Siloe, rising in terraces up the Hill of 
Offense. 

In the barren Valley of Josaphat we saw the 
tomb of "Zacharias the son of Barachias, who 
was slain between the altar and the Temple. 99 
It is composed of an enormous monolith cut out 
of the solid rock, and lies on the right side of the 
way. This tomb is in the form of a miniature 
temple, without an entrance, of about eighteen 
feet square, with two Ionic pillars and two half 
pillars on either side, and a square pillar at each 
corner. It is surmounted by a pyramid. The 
cave of Jacob (*) is also cut out of the rock, but 



THE VALLEY OF ENNON AND CEDRON 125 



has two entrances. By far the most remarkable 
of the monuments in the Valley of Josaphat is 
the tomb or tower of Absalom, which was erected 
by that prince during his life. Like the tomb of 
Zacharias,itwas hewn out of the rock, from which 
it is separated at the sides by a passage eight or 
nine feet broad that does not extend to the back. 
The monument itself is about forty-seven feet 
high and twenty feet square, and is surmounted 
by a stone terminating in a small spire. Many 
have supposed that Absalom was not buried here, 
but that when he was slain by Joab his body was 
thrown into a ditch, which served the rebellious 
son as a grave. Both Jews and Mohammedans 
are in the habit of throwing stones at the monu- 
ment as they pass, saying: " Cursed be Absalom, 
Cursed forever be all children who disobey their 
parents. " The place is piled high with heaps of 
little stones, and there are small openings in the 
monument into which the missiles may be cast 
by anyone who desires to be particularly exact. 
I tried to throw in a stone, and succeeded, so that 
my pebble really lies in the tomb of Absalom. 
I hope he was not very much displeased with me. 



126 THE VALLEY OF ENNOM AND CEDRON 



The Valley of Josaphat is a place of tombs, and 
the graves of the Jews lie as near as possible to 
the sepulchers of Zacharias and Jacob, but all 
retire as though shrinking in horror from the 
neighborhood of the pillar of Absalom. A belief 
shared by Christians, Mohammedans, and Jews 
points to the Valley of Josaphat as the future 
scene of the General Judgment, and is probably 
founded on the words of the Prophet Joel: "Let 
the nations come up into the Valley of Josaphat ; 
fortherelwillsitto judge all nations round about" 
(Joel iii. 12). Crossing the bridge of Cedron, 
where we again venerated the impression of the 
sacred knee of Our Lord (*), we paid a short 
visit to the grotto of Gethsemani, and returned to 
the hospice. 

After dinner my father and I called by invi- 
tation on the Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo. 
They have a small but convenient house and 
garden situated in the German settlement outside 
the Jaffa gate, and devote themselves to the care 
of poor old people. There are only four Sisters 
at present in the community, who were sent from 
the mother house at Cairo to commence this 



CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER 127 



great work of charity in the Holy Land. It is 
a modest beginning, but surely God will bless 
an undertaking whose object is so entirely the 
love of Him and His poor. 

We next went to a wine merchant's to order 
some Jerusalem wine. The proprietor, a Ger- 
man, conducted us through his cellars, and we 
saw the process of wine-making, which is not 
a particularly clean one. Our famous wine of 
Jerusalem reached its destination in Einsiedeln 
just a week before Christmas, but the two small 
barrels we ordered had, by that time, dwin- 
dled into one. 

®fje €\)uxt\) of t$e f?oty <&*pulc!jer . 

In the afternoon we visited the church of the 
Holy Sepulcher. This sanctuary, unquestionably 
the most venerable in the world, includes within 
its walls many of the holy places. Before visiting 
a spot which is the center of so many absorbing 
interests, it will be well worth while to devote 
some little time to the study of its history. Cal- 
vary and the Sepulcher of Our Lord have been 
held sacred by Christians since the day of the 



128 



THE CHURCH OF 



Crucifixion. After the siege of Jerusalem under 
Titus, 70 A.D., many Christians, who had fled 
to escape the horrors of the time, returned to the 
holy city under the guidance of their Bishop, 
Simeon, but found the holy places in possession 
of the Romans who, in conjunction with, and 
perhaps at the instigation of the Jews, did their 
best to obliterate everything that might recall 
to men's minds the circumstances of the sufferings 
and death of Christ. In pursuance of this design, 
rubbish heaps had been piled over all the spots 
held sacred by the followers of Our Lord. Had- 
rian, in the first half of the second century, did 
his utmost to desecrate the holy places in Jeru- 
salem, erecting temples to Venus and Jupiter 
on the sites of Mount Calvary and the Holy 
Sepulcher. These temples were destroyed and 
much of the rubbish cleared away in the time of 
Constantine, whose mother, St. Helena, visited 
Palestine after the conversion of her son. She 
discovered the Holy Sepulcher, Mount Calvary, 
and the true cross, which, with the other instru- 
ments of the Passion, had been buried near the 
place of the Crucifixion. St. Helena caused the 



THE HOLY SEPULCHER 



129 



portion of Mount Golgotha on which the cross 
had been erected to be separated from that which 
contained the sepulcher in order that she might 
be enabled to build a church over each of these 
sacred spots. She had the space around the 
Holy Sepulcher paved, and enclosed the whole 
within a beautiful rotunda richly adorned, and 
known as the Anastasis. A fine basilica was 
erected over Mount Calvary, and connected with 
the Anastasis on the western side. The whole 
was completed in ten years. At the time of the 
invasion of Syria by Chosroes II. this sanctuary 
was burned, and all its treasures, including the 
holy cross and other instruments of the Passion, 
carried off by the Persians. Some few years 
later churches of far less magnificence than those 
of the Empress Helena had been built by the 
piety of another Christian princess, for Arculf 
saw and described four. They were, the church 
of the Resurrection; the church of Golgotha, the 
church of the Finding of the Holy Cross ; and the 
church of the Holy Mother. Thanks to the 
tolerant spirit of the Caliph Omar, these sanctu- 
aries were spared at the taking of Jerusalem by 



130 



THE CHURCH OF 



the infidels in 636. In the time of the Caliph 
Manoum, 813-833 A.D., the Patriarch Thomas 
of Jerusalem restored and enlarged the dome 
over the Anastasis. In the years 936 and 969 
the church was partially destroyed by fire, and 
still further desecrated by the notorious Caliph 
Hakem, known as the Nero of Egypt, in 1010. 
Its restoration was shortly afterwards attempted 
but given up for want of funds. It was finally 
completed in 1048 on a plan adopted by Bishop 
Modestus, which included a rotunda and three 
separate chapels. After the taking of Jerusalem 
by Godfrey de Bouillon the guardianship of these 
churches was confined to two monks, and in 1130 
the Crusaders determined to unite them into one 
sanctuary. At that time they erected the prin- 
cipal entrance on the south side, which is included 
in the facade of today. In 1183 the five year 
©Id monarch Baldwin V. was crowned in the 
church of the Holy Sepulcher. In time the sanc- 
tuaries were again left desolate, until in 1230 the 
Franciscans took possession of them. When the 
infidels plundered and burned the holy city in 
1244, they massacred the old men, the women, 



THE HOLY SEPULCHER 131 



children, and priests who had taken refuge in 
the church of the Holy Sepulcher, and violated 
the tombs of Godfrey de Bouillon and the other 
Latin kings. The church was again restored before 
1310. In 1342 Pope Clement VI. issued a Bull 
wherein he appointed the Franciscans perpetual 
custodians of the Holy Sepulcher. The Friars 
built a fine dome over the tomb of Our Lord in 
1355, which was destroyed by fire on October 12, 
1808, and in its fall crushed the whole of the 
chapel beneath, with the exception of the eastern 
portion. When the church was repaired two 
years later, the Greeks and Armenians contrived 
to secure the principal interest in it by subscribing 
the largest amount toward its restoration. The 
plan of the edifice as it stands to-day differs but 
little from that of Modestus. It consists of four 
parts ; the Rotunda, the church of the Resurrection 
belonging to the Franciscans, Calvary, and the 
subterranean chapel of the Finding of the Holy 
Cross. All these chapels are under one roof, 
and form one vast building entirely devoid of 
symmetry or architectural excellence of any kind. 
Four nations are represented in the church of the 



132 



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Holy Sepulcher: Latins, Greeks, Armenians, and 
Copts. Each has not only its own chapel, but 
a convent also within the holy place, and all but 
the Copts claim the right of burning lamps in 
and decorating their particular portion of the 
building. The Franciscan convent is to the north, 
the Greek to the west, and that of the Armenians 
to the south of the Holy Sepulcher. The Copts 
have a few rooms which serve them for a dwelling 
on part of the gallery to the east. The Franciscan 
Fathers who live here have no means of egress 
but by the doors of the church, which are usually 
locked, and are always guarded by Turkish 
soldiers, but they can hold communication with 
the outer world by a small opening in the prin- 
cipal porch, through which provisions are handed 
in. There can hardly be a sadder thought than 
that the church of the Holy Sepulcher, the most 
venerable sanctuary in Christendom, is in the 
hands of three different sects besides those who 
belong to the one true Church, and that Turks 
hold the keys. And yet it is even worse to witness 
how Greeks, Armenians, and Copts watch over 
the sanctuary like wolves, as if it were their prey; 



THE HOLY SEPULCHER 



138 



to realize that one altar belongs to the Greeks, 
another to the Armenians, a third to the Copts — 
and that Catholic, Greek, and Armenian have 
equal rights over a fourth! It was impossible to 
listen without strong indignation, and something 
like a desire to lead another Crusade, as the good 
Franciscans told us of the sufferings they had, 
and have, to endure at the hands of the schis- 
matics ; and of the tricks and intrigues practised 
against those of the true faith by the Greeks and 
Armenians. 

How long, O Lord, how long wilt Thou leave 
these holy places in the hands of unbelievers! 
And yet in spite of surroundings, — of the smoking, 
coffee-drinking Turkish sentinels at the doors, of 
the sombre Greek popes who follow the pilgrims 
into every hole and corner, and of the babel of 
sounds that arises both in song and speech from the 
motley crowd made up of men of all nations, one's 
love and devotion do not suffer. For the true 
faith is founded upon Christ Himself, the cor- 
ner and foundation stone, who lives and is 
unchangeable throughout eternity; and therefore 
outward circumstances can in nowise affect it. 



134 



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This is a long digression; but a flood of thoughts 
and feelings that will not be restrained rushes in 
upon the mind and heart as the vision of the 
church of the Holy Sepulcher rises before the 
imagination. 

The principal facade of the church of the Holy 
Sepulcher is on the south side. The space before 
the great portal is paved with large yellowish- 
white stones and dates from the time of the 
Crusades. It is generally occupied by an army of 
beggars and street merchants, who besiege the 
passers-by. Another empty space lies three and 
a half steps below the level of the street, and is 
surrounded by uninteresting chapels. There are 
two doorways in this front, with two windows 
above, and arches shaped like horseshoes every- 
where. The second doorway is built up. Before 
it rises a stairway that leads from the outside to 
Calvary. Entering the church by the great portal 
we came to the Stone of Unction (*) , on which the 
body of Our Lord was laid while anointed by the 
holy women before the burial. This stone was 
covered with rich mosaics and placed in the church 
of the Holy Sepulcher by the Empress Helena. 



THE HOLY SEPULCHER 135 



Later on it was removed by Bishop Modestus, 
who built a small oratory over it. It was pur- 
chased from the Turks by the Georgians, and the 
mosaics were injured. Finally the Franciscans 
bought it again, and encased the stone with black 
marble which, in 1808, was exchanged by the 
Greeks for marble of a reddish yellow. It is at 
present the property of the Latins, Greeks, 
Armenians, and Copts, but the Georgians have a 
right to furnish two of the eight lamps that are 
kept burning continually before it. An enormous 
candelabrum stands beside the Stone of Unction. 
It is customary to kiss the stone out of devotion, 
and to touch it with rosaries, crosses, and other 
objects of piety. Turning to the left, a few steps 
brought us to the Rotunda. It was destroyed by 
fire in 1808, and at once restored by the Greeks, 
but fell into ruins in 1859, when it was rebuilt at 
the expense of France, Russia, and the Porte 
(Turkey). The dome is open, and rests on eight- 
een pillars connected by arches which support a 
gallery, whence one can look down into the chapel 
of the Holy Sepulcher. Its interior is frescoed 
in arabesques, and hung with drapery, but this is 



136 



THE CHURCH OF 



rotting and falling to pieces. The chapel itself 
has suffered from various vicissitudes, but Provi- 
dence has always watched over the holy place and 
preserved it from utter destruction. Even Had- 
rian, determined as he was to wipe out the very 
remembrance of Christ's passion and death, con- 
tented himself with burying the Holy Sepulcher 
under a heap of ruins and rubbish. Then he had 
the place levelled and paved, and erected a temple 
of Venus on the spot. Thus in reality he helped 
to preserve the tomb of Our Lord and to mark its 
site. The grotto consisted originally of two rooms 
hewn out of the rock, an outer one called the chapel 
of the Angels, and an inner chamber wherein was 
the Sepulcher itself. St. Helena appears to have 
left the grotto in its natural state, except that out 
of respect for the stone whereon the body of Our 
Lord had reposed, she had it encased in marble. 
Arculf, who visited Jerusalem in 670, narrowly 
observed and minutely described all that he saw, 
even to the marks made by the tools used in hewing 
out the tomb. The rock, he tells us, was veined 
with white and red. His description was con- 
firmed by the Monk Bernard, who wrote two 



THE HOLY SEPULCHER 137 



centuries later. Daniel, the Russian hegumen, 
tells us that when he saw the Holy Sepulcher in 
1112 the place of burial was covered with marble, 
but he says nothing of the walls of the grotto. 
We may conclude therefore that these were allowed 
to remain in their natural state until the middle of 
the twelfth century. In 1165 John of Wurzburg 
found the whole interior of the holy place lined 
with mosaics, which soon disappeared and were 
replaced by slabs of white marble, as Willibrand 
of Oldenburg relates in 1212. In 1322 Symeon 
Symeonis testified that with the exception of the 
ceiling, which was quite blackened by the smoke 
of lamps and candles, the Holy Sepulcher was 
entirely covered with marble, so that the rock 
could nowhere be touched by the hand. John 
Tucher, a century later, vouches for the same 
fact. In 1555 the Rev. Father Custodian, Boni- 
face of Ragusa, renewed the hangings of the Holy 
Sepulcher and, in the presence of many witnesses, 
lifted the marble which covered the exact spot 
where the body of Our Lord had lain. In the 
center of the tomb was found a particle of the 
true cross wrapped in some precious material 



138 



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which fell to pieces when exposed to the air, and a 
document, but with the exception of the words 
Helena Magni the writing was entirely obliterated. 
What remained, however, showed that the Sepul- 
cher had been discovered by the Empress Helena. 
When all present had venerated the tomb, Boni- 
face covered it with new slabs of marble, and these 
still remain. Luallardo says that the interior was 
encased with marble when he saw it in 1587, 
excepting the ceiling, and that was blackened with 
smoke. Don Aguilante says the same, adding 
however, as did Surius in 1647, that there were 
some few openings in the roof. Thus we learn 
from the testimony of reliable witnesses, that its 
natural roof remained over the grotto of the Holy 
Sepulcher until about the middle of the seven- 
teenth century. In the year 1808 the Greeks 
renewed the hanging and removed the roof. The 
marble which still lines the Sepulcher proper is 
that placed there by Boniface of Ragusa in 1555. 
The interior of the chapel of the Sepulcher has 
undergone various changes in the course of nearly 
two thousand years, but to describe them here 
would lengthen to tediousness a story that is, 



THE HOLY SEPULCHER 139 



perhaps, already too long. I will content myself 
with writing merely of what I saw. The chapel 
which encloses the Holy Sepulcher is entered by 
a low door opening on a chamber called the chapel 
of the Angels, because here the angels announced 
to the holy women the Resurrection of Our Lord. 
This chapel is sixteen feet long and ten wide. It 
occupies the site of the outer portion of the ancient 
Sepulcher, which was destroyed by St. Helena in 
order to facilitate the adornment of the inner 
Sepulcher, wherein had reposed the body of Our 
Lord. A pillared hall was built here by the 
Crusaders, and afterwards converted into a chapel 
of the Angels by Boniface of Ragusa. The 
Greeks reconstructed the chapel in 1808, making, 
however, little alteration beyond adding two small 
windows in the north and south walls. Through 
these windows the new fire is passed for distribu- 
tion on Holy Saturday. In restoring the chapel 
the Greeks obliterated all the Latin inscriptions 
which had previously decorated the walls, and 
lined the whole of the apartment with white 
marble. A portion of the stone on which the 
angel sat on Easter morning lies in the center of 



140 



THE CHURCH OF 



the chapel covered with white marble richly 
carved. Fifteen lamps belonging to different 
nations and always kept burning are suspended 
from the roof. A door so low that one can pass 
through it only by stooping, gives admittance to 
the true Sepulcher, the actual burial-place of Our 
Lord. It is six feet w^ide by six and a half feet 
long, and its walls are encrusted with white mar- 
ble. The stone on which the body of Our Lord 
was laid is nearly six feet in length, is raised about 
three feet above the ground, and is covered with a 
slab of marble. It is used as an altar, Catholics, 
Greeks, and Armenians offering the Holy Sacrifice 
here every day. The Franciscans have the right 
of saying two Low Masses and of singing Mass 
once every day. The Greeks, who begin their 
service at midnight, and the Armenians, who 
come next, may each say only one. Only four 
persons at a time can find room in the chapel. 
Four lamps of great value are burning always, 
day and night, before the tomb of Our Lord, and 
I noticed a large picture of the Resurrection on 
the north side over the Sepulcher. The exterior 
of the sanctuary is not beautiful. Adorned with 



THE HOLY SEPULCHER 141 



sixteen pillars of a reddish-white color, its upper 
portion is crowned by a balustrade of massive 
little columns, with a small tower rising in the 
midst. The facade is ornamented with four 
columns, and over the entrance are two pictures 
and a carving in relief representing the risen 
Christ. Proceeding westwards in a direct line 
from the chapel of the Holy Sepulcher, we come 
to that called by the Greeks Catholicon, which in 
reality occupies the chief portion of the basilica 
that encloses so many sanctuaries under its roof. 
The architecture of the Catholicon is more regular 
than that of any other part of the building. It 
contains a semi-circular choir, and was itself the 
choir of the basilica in the Middle Ages. Four 
pointed arches are upheld by the same number of 
great center pillars, and, in turn, support the 
tympanum and dome. Between the entrance and 
the choir a great urn or basin of white marble 
rests upon the ground, and contains a twisted 
ball. This marks the spot formerly believed to be 
the center of the earth. The choir and high altar 
are shut off by a wall according to Greek custom, 
and some of us ventured to penetrate within the 



142 



THE CHURCH OF 



enclosure, but as soon as a pope saw there were 
ladies in the party we were compelled to retire. 
He was more tolerant of the gentlemen. 

On leaving the Catholicon we passed into the 
great Rotunda, and turning to the right, came to 
the chapel of the Apparition (f), which belongs 
to the Franciscans, and is believed to stand upon 
the spot where Our Lord showed Himself to His 
Blessed Mother first after His Resurrection. The 
chapel was restored in 1882. It contains three 
altars, and the high altar on which the Blessed 
Sacrament is reserved is dedicated to Our Lady in 
commemoration of her interview with her risen 
Son, which is represented in a fine picture sus- 
pended over the altar. On the Gospel side stands 
the altar of the Relic, which derives its title from 
a particle of the true cross venerated here until 
1537, when it was stolen by the Armenians. The 
altar is dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. On 
the Epistle side is the altar of the Pillar of the 
Scourging (f). This precious relic was at first 
kept in the Cenacle, where it was venerated by 
St. Paula in 386 and seen in the same place some 
centuries later by Arculf and others. In the 



THE HOLY SEPULCHER 



143 



fifteenth century it came into the possession of the 
Franciscans. It was broken by the Turks, and the 
principal fragments brought to this altar, where a 
large portion of the relic still remains; but some 
pieces of the column were sent by the Father 
Custodian, Boniface of Ragusa, to Pope Paul IV., 
to the Emperor Ferdinand L, to Philip II. of 
Spain, to the Republic of Venice, and to Ragusa. 
The column is of porphyry. Many pilgrims visit 
this sanctuary on the Wednesday of Holy Week, 
when the railings over the altar are opened, and 
the faithful may kiss and touch the sacred column. 
Of course I touched it with all the pious souvenirs 
I had — rosaries, crosses, medals, etc., feeling 
penetrated as I did so with a grateful appreciation 
of the grace and privilege allowed me of touching 
the column which had been reddened with the 
precious blood. The convent of the Franciscans 
is to the north of the convent of the Apparition. 
When the Emperor Francis Joseph visited the 
Holy Land in 1869, he obtained from the Sublime 
Porte a grant of the terrace above the convent for 
the use of the Fathers, so from that time the 
Friars who are shut up night and day in the 



144 



THE CHURCH OF 



church of the Holy Sepulcher may enjoy a little 
fresh air. But they have no view, as the place is 
surrounded by houses. In their sacristy these 
Fathers keep the sword and spurs, both undeni- 
ably authentic, of Godfrey de Bouillon. They 
were given to their present owners by the bishop 
of Nazareth toward the end of the fourteenth 
century. The spurs are of gilded copper, the 
sword is large and straight, and its hilt a simple 
cross. I held the weapon in my hand and found 
it rather heavy. Behind the choir of the Greeks 
a descent of twenty-nine steps leads into the 
Armenian chapel of St. Helena (f), which was 
built by that empress, destroyed by Chosroes, 
and rebuilt by Modestus, who used for his work 
materials obtained from the church of the Holy 
Sepulcher. Half of the chapel is hewn out of 
the rock, and it is more than five feet below the 
level of the church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is 
sixty-five feet long by about forty-two wide. 
Several lamps are suspended from the roof, and 
there are two altars of which the principal is 
dedicated to St. Helena. Another flight of thir- 
teen steps takes the pilgrim still lower into the 



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THE HOLY SEPULCHER 145 



chapel of the Finding of the Cross — the property 
of the Franciscans. After the death of Our Lord 
all the instruments of the Passion were thrown by 
the Jews into a cistern near the place of the 
Crucifixion. When St. Helena arrived in Jeru- 
salem it was an easy matter for the pious Empress 
to inquire of the Bishop Macarius and the older 
inhabitants where these treasures were hidden, 
and, following the instructions received, she found, 
after long seeking, the objects of her search. The 
manner in which the cross of Our Lord was identi- 
fied is well known. One may see at a glance that 
the chapel was originally a cistern. It is situated 
at about eighty or eighty-five feet west of the place 
of the Crucifixion. Masses are celebrated daily 
at the one altar in the chapel, which was the gift 
of the unfortunate Maximilian, emperor of 
Mexico. There is a life-size bronze statue on a 
pedestal of green serpentine of the Empress 
Helena embracing the cross. Re-ascending the 
staircase we turn toward the entrance and find 
to the right eighteen steps leading to Calvary, 
which occupies the southeastern portion of the 
Holy Sepulcher, and is about fifteen feet higher 



146 



THE CHURCH OF 



than the level of the basilica. The chapel which 
covers the holy mount is of two stories, the lower 
separated, by two large columns, into two divisions, 
of which one belongs to the Latins, the other, 
including the very spot on which the cross stood, 
to the Greeks. The altar of the death of Christ 
is here(f). It rests on a platform or dais which 
extends across the whole width of the chapel 
towards the east. The altar, of white marble, is 
supported by four pillars, and immediately under 
it is the hole or socket in which the cross was 
planted. In 1810 the Greeks removed the lining 
of this hole, and replaced it by another, which is 
finished with a cylindrical silver socket left open 
at the top. The Catholics may not say Mass at 
this altar. The holes in which the crosses of the 
two thieves stood are one on either side, a little to 
the back. The places are indicated by small 
black tablets. On the Gospel side of the altar 
stands a small table under a canopy. On the 
Epistle side, covered by a long narrow lid and 
enclosed by a silver railing, may be seen the rift 
made in the rock at the moment of the death of 
Our Lord. The direction of this rent is from 



THE HOLY SEPULCHER 



147 



east to west and it extends downward to what is 
known as the chapel of Adam, a crypt wherein 
the skull of Adam is said to have been buried, a 
depth of about fifteen feet. 

The fact that the rock is cracked in a horizontal, 
rather than in a vertical direction, was acknowl- 
edged by a great English scientist to have led to 
his conversion from unbelief . Neither nature nor 
art could have accomplished a rift of the kind. 
The rock of Calvary is of white chalk veined with 
red, but cannot be seen very distinctly on account 
of the smoke from the many lamps and candles 
always kept burning. The scene here is, natur- 
ally, very different from the Mount Calvary we 
are accustomed to represent to ourselves. The 
chapel is brilliant with lights, marbles, gold, silver, 
and coloring. A life-size crucifix stands behind 
the altar, with silver statues of Our Lady and St. 
John. On the half-vaulted wall at the back are 
scenes in relief from the Passion of Our Lord, 
also in silver. A silver-branched chandelier 
which adorns the chapel was a gift from the Czar. 
To the south of the crack in the rock is the altar 
of the Mater Dolorosa, erected in honor of the 



148 



THE CHURCH OF 



sufferings which pierced the heart of Mary when 
she witnessed the death of her Divine Son (*). 
This altar, as well as that of the death of Christ, 
stands upon the rent rock of Calvary, against one 
of the two pillars that divide the chapels. The 
second chapel is that of the Nailing to the Cross. 
The altar occupies the whole width of the wall at 
the end of the chapel, and a picture behind it 
represents the mystery of the Passion which took 
place here. A long strip of mosaic on the floor 
marks the spot where Our Lord was nailed to the 
cross (f). A little further to the west — toward 
the steps — is the place where Our Lord was 
stripped of His garments (*), marked by a disc 
on the ground. The south wall of this chapel is 
broken, and a view may be obtained, through a 
grating, of the chapel of the Seven Dolors and of 
St. John the Evangelist. Although not entirely 
the property, as it should be, of the true Church, 
everything in this sanctuary incites to a spirit of 
devotion and fervor. The most perfect quiet 
prevails, for no sound can penetrate to so remote 
a spot, and it seems impossible that the hardest 
heart could remain untouched by the sanctity of 



THE HOLY SEPULCHER 149 



the place. One is absolutely constrained to pray, 
and the prayer inspired is one of awe-stricken 
thanksgiving — a longing to intone the Te Deum 
at the foot of the cross. We did not descend to 
the chapel of Adam, nor visit several others which 
are of comparatively little importance. In the 
afternoon at four o'clock we were present at a 
service which takes place daily at that hour. The 
Franciscans go in procession from one sanctuary 
of the basilica to another, singing appropriate 
hymns (in Latin) as they go. The procession is 
formed in the usual order; that is, the cross- 
bearer first, then the Franciscan Friars and the 
officiating priest, then the pilgrims carrying 
lighted candles. It starts from and returns to the 
chapel of the Apparition. At each sanctuary a 
pause is made while the celebrant — on this occas- 
ion the Rev. Father Custodian himself — recites a 
short prayer and incenses the holy place, while the 
faithful, out of devotion, kiss the sacred spot. On 
again reaching the chapel of the Apparition, the 
Litany of Our Lady is sung before the Blessed 
Sacrament. It would give me great happiness 
to be able to join these good Franciscans every 



150 CHURCH OF THE LATIN PATRIARCH 



day in their procession to the holy places. It 
must needs be confessed that the singing, however 
devotional, was the reverse of pleasing. It was 
too nasal, and the melodies were too light for the 
occasion. 

&t rWcr tn tty €\)\xtt\) of tyz Jlatm JBatriarcti 

Sept. ISth. — On this morning all the pilgrims 
were present at a grand service in the church of 
the Latin Patriarch, which is situated on Mount 
Gareb, at no great distance from the Franciscan 
convent and the Casa Nuova, so we had not far 
to go. The church, which is quite new, is Gothic 
in style and very large, being about ninety-eight 
feet long, eighty-nine broad, and fifty feet high. 
The nave is divided into three aisles, and the 
floor entirely of marble, while both roof and walls 
are frescoed, the former on a blue, the latter on a 
golden ground, with pictures of saints who are 
more particularly honored in Jerusalem. All the 
altars are beautiful, but the high altar is especially 
remarkable. It is of gilded bronze, and was the 
gift of the Emperor of Austria. The windows of 
the church are of stained glass. The patriarchate 



THE MOSQUE OF OMAR 



151 



had been in abeyance during a period of more than 
five centuries and a half, when the holy city was 
restored to its ancient dignity by His Holiness 
Pope Pius IX., in 1847. On this morning of 
September 13, 1903, His Lordship Luigi Piccardo, 
Auxiliary -Bishop of Jerusalem, sang Pontifical 
High Mass, and our spiritual director preached a 
touching sermon. As the pilgrims were to sing I 
had a position in the organ gallery, which gave me 
a fine view of the church, and enabled me to 
follow the ceremony as I could not have done 
elsewhere. Everything was carried out with 
befitting dignity, and the service lasted quite a 
long time. Our afternoon was devoted to the 
place of the Temple and to the Mosques of Omar 
and el-Aksa. 

W$t ^o^qnt of ®mar 

We entered the place of the Temple upon 
Mount Moria through the Gate Bab-el-Kattar- 
neen. Mount Moria is a spot which appears to 
have been especially chosen by Almighty God to 
be the scene of remarkable events, and it was 
held in veneration by His chosen people from 



152 THE MOSQUE OF OMAR 



remote antiquity. Here Abraham was to have 
sacrificed his son Isaac; here David built an altar 
to the Lord, and offered holocausts and peace- 
offerings, and here the holy king desired to erect a 
Temple, but was told that the accomplishment of 
this design was to be the work of his son Solomon, 
who actually carried out the desire of his father, 
and erected that magnificent sanctuary which 
became the glory of Juda, and the wonder and 
admiration of the world. The Temple of Solomon 
was destroyed by Nabuchodonosor and rebuilt 
by Zorobabel after the return from the Babylonian 
Captivity. It was afterwards so beautified and 
enlarged by Herod the Great as to surpass the first 
Temple in magnificence. In this, the Temple of 
Herod, the Blessed Virgin passed her youth in 
labor and prayer. Here she presented her divine 
Son to the Eternal Father; here Jesus preached to 
the Jews; here He denounced the Scribes and 
Pharisees, and here He purified the Temple, 
chasing thence the sheep and oxen, and over- 
turning the tables of the money-changers, and 
sending forth them that sold doves. In fulfilment 
of the prediction uttered by Our Lord, the building 
was destroyed by the Romans, 70 A.D.,and in the 



THE MOSQUE OF OMAR 



153 



second century a temple of Jupiter was erected 
by the Emperor Hadrian in its place. Julian the 
Apostate endeavored to rebuild the Temple in 
order to make void the prophecy of Our Lord, 
but was unable to carry out his wicked design. 
The work was continually interrupted by super- 
natural intervention, and an earthquake finally 
destroyed the little that had been done. In the 
first half of the seventh century Jerusalem was 
taken by the infidels, and the Caliph Omar built 
the first mosque on Mount Moria in 636. In 1099 
the holy city was re-taken by the Crusaders, and 
the Mosque of Omar converted into a Christian 
church. This was desecrated and again changed 
into a mosque in 1189. In 1875, 2,700,000 francs 
were expended by the Sublime Porte in restoring 
the Mosque of Omar as it stands to-day on the 
site of the ancient Temple, of which not a stone 
remains upon a stone. The mosque occupies a 
wide, and otherwise empty, space, which is paved 
with large stones and includes the southeastern 
quarter of the town. On the western side seven 
gates lead from the city to the place of the Temple, 
called also the Haram-esh-Shereef. This covers 



154 



THE MOSQUE OF OMAR 



a space of nearly thirty-five acres, and is something 
less than a mile around. On the west and north 
this space is bounded by houses, and on the east 
and south by the city wall. The mosque of 
Omar stands upon a marble platform of irregular 
shape, which rises sixteen feet above the surround- 
ing area and is reached by flights of steps on every 
side. These terminate in fine arcades, whence 
a good view of the Harem-esh-Shereef may be 
obtained. The whole place is planted with 
cypresses, and its appearance must be A 7 ery 
different from that which it presented in the time 
of Our Lord. Coming upon this open area one 
is struck by the contrast afforded by its profitless 
space to the narrow streets of the densely crowded 
city. The Mosque of Omar, or Kubbet-es- 
Sachra, is a large and stately building of octagonal 
shape. Each of its sides is sixty-six feet in length. 
The width of the interior is one hundred and 
fifty-two feet. The walls inside are lined from 
the roof to the window-sills with porcelain tiles, 
and from the window-sills to the floor with marble. 
The walls are decorated also with verses from the 
Koran written in twisted characters of great 



THE MOSQUE OF OMAR 



155 



beauty. The doors face the four points of the 
compass. The interior of this mosque is dis- 
appointing in the extreme. It is divided into 
three portions by two rows of columns, and a 
golden railing in the center surrounds a mass of 
bare rock. It was in honor of this stone that the 
whole building was erected, for the Mohammedans 
believe that from its summit Mohammed ascended 
into heaven on the marvelous horse el-Borak. 
They show an impression which they declare to 
have been made by the hand of the Archangel 
Gabriel when he steadied the rock to facilitate 
the prophet's ascent. They also aver that the 
stone balances itself without any foundation, and 
that the impress of Mohammed's head is to be seen 
in a grotto beneath. In point of fact, on de- 
scending eleven steps that lead to the grotto we 
saw a support, and also a whitewashed circular 
wall on which the so-called miraculous rock rests 
on the sides. But it has an interest for both 
Christian and Jew, apart from infidel legends. 
Here, according to Hebrew tradition and be- 
lief, Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac when 
an angel of God stayed his hand. The grotto 



156 THE MOSQUE OF OMAR 



beneath is said to have served as an oratory at 
different periods for Abraham, David, and Elias. 
The stone was anointed by Jacob, and here was 
the threshing-floor of Areuna the Jebusite, which 
David purchased from its heathen owner. The 
Turks say that Mohammed declared one prayer 
said beside this rock to be worth more than a 
thousand repeated elsewhere. The rock rises 
five feet above the pavement at its highest point, 
and one foot at its lowest, measuring fifty-six 
feet from north to south, and forty-two from 
east to west. Outside the golden railing which 
surrounds it a circle of pillars supports a dome 
that upholds a tympanum richly adorned with 
mosaics dating from different periods. Flower 
vases filled with grapes and ears of wheat stand 
out on a golden ground, and the Byzantine 
artists who executed the work may have had 
in mind the sacred elements of the Christian 
sacrifice, since according to the Moslem law 
they were not allowed to reproduce figures. 
The height of the dome is about ninety-eight 
feet and its width across fifty-five. Above it 



THE MOSQUE OF OMAR 157 



rises the Moslem symbol, the crescent, instead of 
the cross. The floor is of mosaics in marble, 
and straw mats are scattered here and there. As 
a mere building the Mosque of Omar is ex- 
quisitely beautiful. Within, everything is perfect 
in workmanship — all is in good taste. Nowhere 
is the interior overloaded with ornament, or the 
coloring too strong — but everything lacks mean- 
ing. The Mosque of Omar is like a perfectly 
lovely body devoid of soul. 

We heard many odd legends concerning the 
Mosque and the grotto beneath. It was from 
the latter that Mohammed set out on his ride to 
heaven. His head made a hole in the roof which 
is still to be seen. The rock was anxious to follow 
the prophet in his flight and it was in trying to 
keep it in its place on earth that the archangel 
left upon it the mark of his hand. At the northern 
entrance a tablet of jasper is let into the floor 
in which Mohammed set nineteen golden nails. 
A nail falls out at the end of certain periods, and 
when they have all fallen out the end of the world 
will come. The devil once succeeded in des= 



158 



THE MOSQUE OF EL-AKSA 



troying all the nails excepting three and a half, 
when the archangel interfered and happily pre- 
vented him from finishing his work. 

Wqt ^osque of ek&tea 

The Mosque of el-Aksa stands at the southern 
end of the place of the Temple or Harem-esh- 
Shereef. I should have remarked before that 
no one, not even a Turk, is allowed to enter a 
mosque wearing shoes, so that here, as before 
entering the Mosque of Omar, we must either 
go barefoot, leaving our foot gear at the door, 
or put on enormous slippers over our walking 
shoes — and for these slippers one must pay. We 
could not go in immediately, as the Turks were hold- 
ing a service when we arrived, and from the door I 
could see many of the Mohammedans sitting in 
long rows on their heels upon the ground, and at 
stated intervals prostrating until their heads 
touched the floor. This they did simultaneously 
as if at a word of command. The Turks con- 
duct themselves with great reverence in their 
mosques. El-Aksa was originally a basilica 
built by Justinian and is Gothic in style. The 



THE MOSQUE OF EL-AKSA 



159 



edifice is two hundred and seventy feet long and 
one hundred and ninety feet wide. It is entered 
by a vestibule of seven arcades, each opening upon 
one of the aisles into which the building is divided 
by pillars of varied material and size. Those 
on either side of the wide middle aisle are of white 
marble, are six in number, and very large. The 
three aisles in the centre are by far more elegant 
than the others. Their design is both more 
original and more uniform, and they are floored 
with wood, as is also the transept. A dome of 
wood covered on the outside with tin rises over 
the latter. This basilica was converted into a 
mosque by Omar, and after having been ruined 
and restored many times in the course of ages 
the edifice became a royal palace in 1099, and 
was called the palace of Solomon. In 1118 
Baldwin I. gave it to the Templars, but sixty- 
seven years later it was again converted into a 
mosque. It is the largest, and, with the exception 
of the Mosque of Omar, is held in highest ven- 
eration of all the buildings on the Harem-esh- 
Shereef. Its interior is as richly ornamented 
as is that of the Mosque of Omar itself. On the 



160 THE MOSQUE OF EL-AKSA 



south is the mihrab, or praying niche, toward 
which the Mohammedans turn while reciting 
their prayers. This niche is lined with mosaics 
and decorated with small columns, and before it 
stand two candelabra holding enormous candles. 
To the east of the mihrab stands a mimbar or 
pulpit of wood, excellently carved. The ascent 
to the pulpit as well as its canopy are inlaid with 
ivory and mother-of-pearl. This beautiful work 
of art was produced by an artist of Aleppo in 1166 
by order of Mureddin, and was placed in its 
present position by Saladin when el-Aksa was 
for the second time converted into a mosque. 
There is another praying-place between the east 
and south walls, with two mihrabs, one dedicated 
to Moses, the other to Aissa — Jesus. In the 
latter an impression said to be that of the sacred 
foot of Our Lord, and greatly venerated by the 
Mohammedans, is shown. The first two pillars 
on the left side of the middle aisle are called "the 
Columns of Trial." They are set somewhat 
near together, and the Turks declare that no 
one who cannot pass between them will ever enter 
heaven. A railing bars the passage at present, 



THE MOSQUE OF EL-AKSA 161 



set there because a caliph of no small circum- 
ference got stuck fast while attempting to get 
through, and was extricated only at the expense 
of his life, so nobody may make the trial now. 
Toward the west the transept is prolonged 
into a double vaulted corridor dating from the 
time of the Templars, It is said to have served 
the knights as an arsenal. 

At the outer entrance of el-Aksa we put off our 
Turkish slippers and descended by a flight of 
thirty-two steps at the southeastern corner of the 
harem to the substructures, by means of which a 
great portion of the place of the Temple has been 
brought to the general level of the plateau. The 
first place we entered was a small praying-house, 
and on a level with this we saw a little dome sup- 
ported by four columns and covering what is known 
as the cradle of Jesus, a horizontal depression in the 
rock. We next went down to the roomy sub- 
terranean structure called the stables of Solomon, 
which must have been built in the first instance 
by that king when he levelled a place for the con- 
struction of his Temple; and it is not unlikely 
that they were applied by him to the purpose im- 



162 



THE MOSQUE OF EL-AKSA 



plied by their name. They were undoubtedly 
used as stables by the Crusaders, as holes by 
means of which the horses were fastened are 
still to be seen in the stone pillars that support 
the roofs of these wonderful vaults. The stables 
of Solomon were restored and probably strength- 
ened by Herod when he rebuilt the Temple. 
There are, in the whole of these substructures, 
thirteen vaults of unequal size, but all very large. 
They are upheld by eighty-eight columns ranged 
in twelve parallel rows. The stones employed 
in the construction of these buildings are enor- 
mous, and it is a matter of wonder how they could 
have been raised and worked. We ascended to 
the harem when we had thoroughly examined 
Solomon's stables — in as far as time permitted, 
that is, in order to look at the walls. The upper 
portion of the eastern wall is quite modern, but 
some parts of the remainder are said to be of 
great antiquity. From the top, which is reached 
by a narrow stairway, we looked out over the 
Valley of Josaphat, which, with its many tombs, 
lay directly at our feet; and, further off, on Mount 
Olivet toward the north we came to the Golden 



BETHLEHEM 



163 



Gate, now walled up. Wearied out with much 
standing, walking, and sightseeing, we gladly 
returned to the hospice. The priests of our 
party left in the evening for Bethlehem, which is 
appointed to be the goal of to-morrow's pilgrim- 
age, because they wish to say holy Mass during 
the night and in the early morning in the grotto 
of the Nativity. 

Sept. 14>th. — "Let us go over to Bethlehem," 
said the good shepherds one to another on that 
holy Christmas night; and they set forth at the 
word of the angel to seek the infant Jesus and 
His Mother. We, too, joyfully repeated, " Let 
us go over to Bethlehem," as we set out, not 
walking, it is true, but driving in carriages over 
somewhat stony ways. My father and I had the 
first carriage in our procession as we started at 
5 A. M., and we thoroughly enjoyed the drive 
in the fresh morning air. Bethlehem is about 
six miles — a two hours' drive — from Jerusalem. 
We left the holy city by the Jaffa gate, passed 
the railway station on the left, and on the right the 
German colony and the Mount of Evil Counsel. 



164 



BETHLEHEM 



Further on to the left is a convent of Poor Clares, 
and further still a Protestant asylum managed 
by deaconesses. It was founded in 1888. On 
a hill to the right stands a house said by tradition 
to have been that of holy Simeon. It is now 
the property of the Greeks and is called Kat- 
amon(*). It contains the small church and the 
summer residence of the Greek Patriarch. Past 
this on the right side we came to the Foun- 
tain of the Three Wise Men(*), where they are 
said to have seen the star again after its disap- 
pearance over Jerusalem. At the end of the 
Plain of Raphaim, whose vineyards and fig and 
olive plantations bear witness to the fertility 
of the well-cultivated soil, we passed the Greek 
convent of Elias, pleasantly situated on the 
mountain ridge. This monastery was built by 
Heraclius in the seventh century. We are told 
by John Phocas it was destroyed by an earth- 
quake and restored by Manuel Comnenus in 
1165. Opposite to the convent lies a road lead- 
ing to a valley that terminates at the Dead Sea. 
The grounds round the monastery are in a 
good state of cultivation. Before us the round 



BETHLEHEM 



165 



summit of the mount of the Franks rises over 
the valley to the southeast; to the south lies Beth- 
lehem, and to the right the white buildings of 
Beit Jala. Not far off, beautifully located, is 
Tantoowa, where there is a convent of the Bro- 
thers of Mercy from Steinmark. On the left is 
a field covered with pebbles of the size and shape 
of peas. According to the legend, Christ was 
passing this place one day when a peasant was 
planting peas. In answer to the question of 
Jesus: "What do you here?" the churl replied: 
"Sowing stones." "Stones shall they yield," 
said Our Lord ; and nothing else has the field pro- 
duced to this day. To the left we had a fine 
view of the Dead Sea. We passed the tomb of 
Rachel, and found nothing interesting about it, 
although it is held in veneration by Christians, 
Moslems, and Jews. It is a modern sarcophagus, 
built with a dome after the manner of the Moslem 
wells, and is plastered and whitewashed. The 
pillar actually erected by Jacob to the memory 
of his dearly-beloved wife disappeared centuries 
ago. Great numbers of Jews come hither on 
pilgrimage, and we saw many Jewish families 



166 DESCRIPTION OF BETHLEHEM 



encamped about the place as we drove by. At 
the tomb of Rachel the road divides — the right 
leading to Hebron, the left to Bethlehem. This 
soon brought us to the first houses of the town, 
which stand on a hill opposite to Bethlehem 
proper. We found the land round the city of 
David in better cultivation than any we had yet 
seen in Palestine. Vineyards alternate with lux- 
uriant plantations of olives, to whose melan- 
choly gray foliage the fresh green of the fig-tree 
offers an agreeable contrast. One might almost 
imagine that the coming of the King had brought 
perpetual spring to Bethlehem, while His death 
had left Jerusalem in everlasting desolation. 

fytetoxy ano s>mripeton of HBet&letjem 

Bethlehem, standing 2,550 feet above the level 
of the sea, is built on two mountains united by 
a short saddle forming a picturesque amphithe- 
ater, whose beauty is enhanced by the terraced 
slopes of the hillsides. Of the eight thousand 
inhabitants of Bethlehem nearly two thousand 
belong to the true Church, and the rest are nearly 
all Christian. The people are intelligent and 



DESCRIPTION OF BETHLEHEM 167 



industrious, and enjoy a certain renown for 
beauty and for purity of life and manners. The 
chief industry is the manufacture of articles of 
piety, more particularly the cutting and polishing 
of mother-of-pearl. The dress is picturesque. 
That of the women consists of a long robe of 
dark blue, or striped, cotton; a tall, brimless 
hat from which strings of coin hang down over 
the forehead, and a long veil. Only the un- 
married women cover their hats with a white 
veil. The coins are their dowry, which they 
carry about with them always. The women 
of Bethlehem are very attractive, fair to see and 
of gracious and noble manners. The influence 
of Christianity makes itself felt here; everything 
seems to bear the impress of the supernatural, 
and one breathes in an atmosphere of purity and 
peace. There are many convents, schools, and 
other institutions in Bethlehem. The Francis- 
cans have a large convent and hospice, a fine 
church, and a school for boys. The Sisters of 
St. Joseph have a convent and a school for the 
poor; the Carmelites possess a convent and church; 
and on a hill in the northern suburb is the large 



168 DESCRIPTION OF BETHLEHEM 



boys' school and the industrial school belonging 
to the Salesians. The Sisters of Charity have 
a hospital in Hebron street. In the north on the 
highest point of the town stands the house of the 
novitiate of the Christian Brothers, and lastly 
the priests of the Sacred Heart have a convent in 
Bethlehem. The Greeks have the convent of 
the Nativity, two churches, and schools for boys 
and girls, the Armenians also have a convent. 
This and the Greek and Franciscan convents 
stand near to each other and to the church of 
the Nativity, forming altogether a fortress-like 
group of buildings of imposing aspect at the south- 
eastern end of the town. The earliest history 
of Bethlehem Ephrata, the fertile, is involved in 
the mists of antiquity. One of the Hebrew 
Judges, Abesan, father of thirty sons and as 
many daughters, was born at Bethlehem, and 
during a period of thirty years ruled the people 
from his native place. Bethlehem was the birth- 
place of Elimelech and his wife Noemi, and 
hither the latter returned with Ruth, her Moabit- 
ish daughter-in-law, after the death of her hus- 
band and sons. In Bethlehem Ruth met Booz, 



DESCRIPTION OF BETHLEHEM 169 



the wealthy husbandman who afterwards mar- 
ried her, and from this marriage was descended 
David, whom, at the command of God, Samuel 
anointed king in the year 1070 B. C. Bethlehem 
was enlarged and fortified by Roboam about 975 
B. C. Nathan and his son Jacob, the immediate 
progenitors of St. Joseph, were born in Bethlehem, 
according to the tradition of the place, and so also 
was St. Ann. But the great glory of the town 
is that it was chosen to be the birthplace of the 
Messias, the Savior of mankind, the divine 
Child Jesus, who was born here of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary, four thousand years after the crea- 
tion of the world. The fortifications were re- 
stored by the Emperor Justin, A. D. 530, and at 
the time of the Crusades the city was erected 
into a bishopric. The Mohammedan quarter 
of Bethlehem was demolished by Ibrahim Pasha 
in 1834, in punishment of a revolt of the inhabi- 
tants. 

We visited the Franciscan convent near the 
church of the Nativity, and on entering the large 
courtyard with its narrow door were, as always, 
hospitably received. While awaiting the ter- 



170 THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY 



mination of the Greek service in the church of the 
Nativity, we went to the parish church of St. 
Catherine, which was built in 1881, at the expense 
of the emperor of Austria, to replace an older 
and smaller edifice. The present building is 
Roman in style, and is clean, well-kept, and 
worthily decorated. 

fytetoxy ana srwcripttou of t\)t Ctmrelj ant) 
Sxotto of ttjr j£attott£ 

The church of the Nativity was, at one time, 
the most highly valued treasure possessed by the 
Franciscans in the Holy Land. It is now, 
unhappily, partially in the hands of the Greeks 
and Armenians, who hold their service in the 
choir and transept, but not in the nave. The 
church is surrounded and its position concealed 
by the three great monasteries before mentioned, 
probably for purposes of protection, since two 
of its three portals have been done away with, 
and the third is always kept closed, leaving only 
a small door open for the convenience of pilgrims 
and worshipers. The vestibule is actually of 
the same width as the middle aisle of the church, 



THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY 171 



but has been divided into several rooms and is 
very dark. We were surprised at the grand 
simplicity of the building, which is divided into 
five aisles — the apse and transept have been cut 
off by a wall built by the Greeks. Of these 
aisles the middle one is as wide as two of the 
side aisles put together; it is paved with large 
slabs, and is divided from those on either side by 
eleven Corinthian pillars, each consisting of a 
monolith whose entire height is about twenty 
feet. These columns uphold architraves which 
support the wooden roof. The transept, reached 
by a passage, is of the same width as the middle 
aisle, and terminates at each end in a semi- 
circular apse. The chancel is raised above the 
level of the nave, and is built over the grotto 
of the Nativity. 

An oratory was erected by the first Christians 
over the birthplace of Christ. It was destroyed 
by the Emperor Haclrian in 135, and he built 
a temple of Adonis on the site of the stable, 
setting up an altar to Venus over the crib. In 
326 St. Helena purified the holy place, and began 
the building of a grand basilica, which was finished 



172 THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY 



by Constantine in 333 A.D. A convent erected 
here by Saints Jerome and Paula was destroyed 
by the Pelagians in 414. The basilica was re- 
stored by the Greek emperor in the sixth century. 
St. Willibald and the monk Bernard visited and 
described the sanctuary, one in the eighth, the 
other in the ninth century. Two attempts to de- 
stroy the church were made by the wicked Hakem 
in the beginning of the eleventh century, but both 
were frustrated by the appearance of a super- 
natural light, which threw the desecrators of 
the sanctuary to the ground the first time, and 
slew them when the second attempt was made. 
On the Christmas day of 1101 Baldwin was 
crowned king of Jerusalem in this church by the 
Patriarch of the holy city, and at his request it 
was raised to the dignity of a cathedral by Pope 
Pascal. In 1154 it was visited and admired 
by El-Scherif-el-Edryssi, who describes the walls 
as covered with mosaics on a golden ground. 
In 1223 Bishop Regnier was compelled to flee 
from his see and took refuge in France. The 
Fathers Abraham and Araschel (United Arme- 
nians) erected a new church in 1227 which con- 



THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY 173 



tained some fine sculptures. In 1250 the Fran- 
ciscans assumed charge of the sanctuaries of 
Bethlehem. 

The church of the Nativity was partially 
destroyed by the infidels in 1263, but the Fran- 
ciscans obtained permission to restore it from 
Bitars, Sultan of Egypt and Syria, in 1271. In 
1441 Philip the Good, father of Charles the 
Bold, duke of Burgundy, petitioned from Pope 
Nicholas V. the grant of a Bull empowering 
him to send architects to the Holy Land who 
might restore the church and convent at Bethlehem, 
which were surrounded by trenches like a fortress. 
Some years later Edward IV. of England sent a 
sufficient quantity of lead to roof the basilica. 
In 1478 all the panelling and the roof were renewed 
by the Reverend Father Custodian, John Toma- 
celli. The woodwork, all of pine, was fashioned 
in Venice and brought to Jaffa by sea in galleys 
belonging to the Republic. From Jaffa it was 
transported to Bethlehem by camels. In 1537 
the Franciscan Fathers of Jerusalem and Beth- 
lehem were shut up in the tower of David out 
of revenge for the destruction of a Turkish 



174 THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY 



fleet by Doria. They were carried to Damascus, 
and only when they had undergone an imprison- 
ment that lasted three years were they set free 
at the entreaty of Francis I. of France. In 1549 
a portion of the wall of the church fell in, and in 
1626 Philip IV. of Spain sent thirty thousand 
ducats for the restoration of the church, grotto, 
and convent. In 1632 the Franciscans were 
dispossessed by the Sublime Porte, and were 
not allowed even to visit the holy places. 

In 1638 the European powers interfered, and 
the Franciscans were reinstated, only to be again 
driven forth shortly afterwards. During two 
centuries the holy places of Bethlehem passed 
from Greek to Latin custody, and back, several 
times, until in 1852, owing to the intervention 
of Napoleon III. the Franciscans obtained the 
keys of the church of the Nativity, with permission 
to pass through or to visit the chancel. The 
story of the sanctuary of Bethlehem is no less 
sad than that of the holy places in Jerusalem. 
Everywhere the Greeks are in possession, while 
the Franciscans, the lawful custodians, are 



THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY 



175 



powerless against the usurpers, and can only 
watch, pray, and suffer. 

Two doors open, one on either side of the choir of 
the basilica, upon flights of stairs, both leading 
into the principal part of the chapel of the Nativity 
wherein Our Lord was born; where, according 
to St. Epiphanius, He was circumcised on the 
eighth day; where the shepherds adored the 
Messias and the Wise Men offered to the Infant 
King their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 
The grotto of the Nativity has an eventful history 
not unconnected with that of the basilica. Al- 
though it properly belongs to the Franciscans, 
both Greeks and Armenians have contrived to 
make good their claim to offer the Holy Sacrifice 
there daily, and to burn lamps before the altar. 
The Franciscans no longer enjoy that privilege, 
but are permitted to celebrate daily one High and 
one Low Mass at the altar of the Three Kings. 
The grotto has been left almost entirely in its 
natural state. Its length is about forty feet, its 
width only sixteen. The floor is paved, and the 
walls lined with marble, and its only light is that 
afforded by fifty-three lamps. Christ was born 



176 THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY 



in a stable, not in a grotto, you will say. The 
fact is that the caves or grottoes which abound 
in the chalk hills of Judea served as stables then, 
even as they do now. 

The spot on which Our Lord was born (f) is 
what first attracts the attention of a visitor to the 
crypt. It lies under a semi-circular apse, and 
an aperture in the marble which covers the floor 
shows a bluish stone beneath, probably of Jasper. 
The opening is surrounded by the rays of a 
silver star, and an inscription: Hie de Virgine 
Maria Jesus Christus natus est, "Here Jesus 
Christ was born of the Virgin Mary," is engraved 
on the tablet. The stone was stolen by the 
Greeks in 1847, but restored in 1852. They 
made another attempt to remove it in 1873, for 
it is a proof that the grotto is the rightful 
property of the Latins. Since then, by request 
of the French Ambassador, a Turkish soldier 
from the garrison at Bethlehem stands always 
on guard to protect the holy place. A white mar- 
ble altar belonging to the Greeks stands over 
the spot where Christ was born, and from the 
roof above are suspended fifteen lamps which are 



THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY 177 



kept burning night and day. At a distance of, per- 
haps, ten feet to the east of the apse, three steps 
lead down to the oratory of the crypt, the roof of 
which is covered with cloth of gold now very much 
worn. To the east is an excavation in the rock, 
which once served as a manger, and is the crib 
wherein Mary laid her divine Son. On April 
25, 1873, the marble casing of the holy manger 
and a valuable picture were removed by the 
Greeks, who afterwards restored the marble, but 
not the painting, to its place. The manger is 
now encased in white marble and five lamps are 
kept continually burning before it (f). The 
background is concealed by a picture of the divine 
Child; the walls are hung with carpets. An 
altar stands at the western side of the oratory, 
which is dedicated to the Three Wise Men (f). 
The picture representing the Adoration of the 
Magi that formerly hung here was the one stolen 
by the Greeks in 1873. It was replaced by a new 
painting on December 11, 1885. We assisted 
at a Mass offered on this altar and received holy 
communion here. It was a great happiness to 
receive Our Lord in the very sanctuary wherein 



178 THE CHURCH OP THE NATIVITY 



He was bora. Never on any Christmas Day had 
I partaken of the Divine Banquet with such 
feelings of devotion as I experienced in the stable 
at Bethlehem. May our hearts become dwellings 
for the holy Child Jesus, more worthy of His 
presence than that small, dark, grotto sanctuary, 
which however belongs truly, not to the evil 
passions of men, represented by Greek and 
Armenian, but only to Himself — the meek and 
loving Savior and Redeemer. This dear little 
grotto was the palace of the Sovereign of the 
universe, the crib was His throne, poor shepherds 
His courtiers, poverty, humility, generosity, and 
sacrifice His cherished companions, and love His 
royal diadem. I have been much struck by the 
fact, which forces itself on one's observation par- 
ticularly at Bethlehem, of the close connection 
which has existed between grottoes, poor, hidden, 
and dark, and the history of Jesus and His 
Blessed Mother. A grotto in what is now the 
church of St. Ann was the scene of the wonderful 
mystery of the Immaculate Conception, and of 
the nativity of the Blessed Virgin. In a grotto 
at Nazareth Mary became the Mother of God. 



GROTTOES— THE SHEPHERDS' FIELD 179 



In this grotto at Bethlehem Our Lord began His 
life upon earth. In the grotto of Gethsemani He 
commenced His most sorrowful Passion, which 
ended with His burial in the grotto of the Holy 
Sepulcher. 

<®ttyt Grottoes— tEI^e Grotto of tfyz ^tlts— 

In the neighborhood of the grotto of the 
Nativity are many others, reached by narrow 
steps and passages. One of these served St. 
Joseph as his apartment (*) ; another is the burying 
place of the Holy Innocents, who, fitly enough, 
rest near the birthplace of Jesus, for whom their 
blood was shed (*). Still lower down is the 
large cell hewn out of the rock wherein St. Jerome 
spent his thirty -eight years of severe penance 
and where he died (*). In this cavern he made 
his translation of the Holy Scriptures and penned 
the greater number of his immortal writings. 
His body was buried here at first, as were those 
of his beloved disciples and pupils, St. Paula 
and her daughter St. Eustochia (*) ; but St. 
Jerome's was afterwards translated to Rome. 



180 GROTTOES — THE SHEPHERDS' FIELD 



On leaving the sanctuary we took our break- 
fast in the wide, cool halls of the Franciscan 
convent, and afterwards walked through the 
little town to the so-called Grotto of Milk. 
Passing through an iron door, and a large 
vaulted entrance, the pilgrims descend by a 
stairway of sixteen steps into the cavern in which 
the Holy Family is said to have hidden before 
the flight into Egypt. According to the legend, 
while the Blessed Mother was nursing her divine 
Son in this place, a drop of her milk fell upon 
the stones of the cave and they became white, — 
as they remain to this day. Like many other 
holy places, this grotto is venerated by the infidels 
as well as by Christians of all denominations in 
the East. The chapel here is cut almost entirely 
out of the white tufa. The roof is supported 
by pillars, and an altar stands in the center toward 
the east. As we left the grotto the Franciscan 
Fathers presented each of us with a bit of the 
stone, which is white and soft like chalk. Looking 
down from a walled terrace outside this sanctuary, 
we saw in the distance the field where:' 'The shep- 
herds watched their flocks by night, " and heard, 



GROTTOES — THE SHEPHERDS' FIELD 181 



sung by angel voices, on the first Christmas 
night, the celestial hymn, Gloria in excelsis Deo! 
The field is large and planted with olive trees. 

On our return to the town, and while our 
companions were engaged in purchasing objects 
of piety of native manufacture, my father and I 
called on a gentleman, a mother-of-pearl merchant 
with whom we had become acquainted in Jerusa- 
lem, and who had frequently invited us to visit 
him. We found the house much like any modern 
European residence, and were shown into a room 
where our amiable host served us with coffee. 
The appearance of the coffee-pot was not inviting, 
but its contents were good. Mr. H. courteously 
pressed us to stay for dinner, and was disappointed 
to learn that we were compelled to decline his 
invitation. He spoke in broken French, and 
was helped over the difficult places in the discourse 
by his bright little son. After leaving his house 
we bade farewell to the sanctuaries, entered 
our carriages, and drove through intense heat 
and a thick cloud of dust toward Jerusalem. 
But I had the happiness of paying a second visit 
to Bethlehem. On that very afternoon, which 



182 LAST DAY IN JERUSALEM 



happened to be free, we drove back at 3 P. M. in 
company with an Assurnptionist Father, who 
gave us many interesting details respecting the 
country through which we passed. Our stay in 
Bethlehem was of necessity short, as we had to 
be in the holy city by 7 P. M., but we found time 
to visit one of our mother-of-pearl merchants, 
who showed us over his very primitive workrooms. 
They were mere cellars, where eight or ten work- 
men sat on the floor, carving crosses, cutting 
beads, or painting pictures, all of mother-of-pearl. 
The material used was obtained originally from 
the oyster shells found in the Dead Sea, but is 
now supplied chiefly by North America. In 
the corridors of the house a group of Bethlehemite 
girls sat on straw mats making rosaries. We 
paid a last short visit to the Infant Jesus in the 
grotto of the Nativity, and drove back to Jerusa- 
lem. 

IUkbc H>ap m 3Ieru0alem— g>ertriee in t&e 
fean Valuator Cfcurct) 

September 15th. — On awaking early on the 
morning following our visit to Bethlehem, it was 



LAST DAY IN JERUSALEM 183 



with mixed feelings that I awaited the coming 
day, which was to be our last in Jerusalem. 
There were feelings of sorrow at leaving the holy 
places that in so short a time had gained a strong 
hold on my affections, struggling with the happi- 
ness I could not but experience at the thought 
of returning to the dear ones from whom we had 
so long been separated. How very quickly 
I had become accustomed to life in Jerusalem, 
scarcely recalling that for me it must soon 
become a memory of the past. How easily our 
poor human hearts become attached! 

But our farewell visits had to be made to-day. 
At 9 A.M. we attended the solemn high Mass at 
the San Salvator church . His Lordship the Bishop 
of Basle delivered a paternal exhortation to the 
pilgrims present, earnestly advising us to cherish 
during our whole lives the faith of the one, true 
Church, and to put its teachings into practice. 
In a few words at the end of the discourse he told 
us what had been his own motive for making in 
his old age a second pilgrimage to the Holy Land. 
It was that he might pray at all the holy places 
for the grant from Almighty God of good priests 



184 



LAST DAY IN JERUSALEM 



for his diocese. The members of our mixed 
pilgrim choir, of whom I was one, stationed behind 
the altar, sang a beautiful Mass of Mitterer's. 
After Mass the Reverend Father Custodian 
delivered a sermon in Latin, and distributed 
crosses and diplomas among the pilgrims. The 
former are shaped like the Jerusalem crosses, 
that is, they are large crosses with arms of equal 
length, having smaller crosses in the corners. 
Each pilgrim is entitled to one of these crosses 
of honor on payment of an alms given to help 
defray the expenses of the holy places. The 
amount of the alms is fixed in proportion to the 
value of the cross received. That given in return 
for a bronze cross is fifteen, for a silver one twenty, 
and for a cross of gold one hundred and fifty 
francs. The permission to distribute these crosses 
was a legacy of Leo XIII. , but is granted only to 
the Reverend Father Custodian of the Franciscans, 
who confers the honor with its accompanying 
diploma, in the name of the Holy Father, either 
in private, or when the body of pilgrims is impor- 
tant, as in our case, with a certain amount of 
public ceremony. The pilgrim's cross is regarded 



LAST DAY IN JERUSALEM 



185 



as a badge of distinction which marks the Chris- 
tian who has undertaken from devotion the fa- 
tiguing journey to the Holy Land. For this 
reason the Holy Father accords to pilgrims the 
privilege of wearing it in public at church ceremo- 
nies, processions, and pilgrimages, even in his 
own presence when all decorations are usually 
laid aside. (Extract from a little book containing 
explanations and Papal decree.) I had the 
honor of being deputed by the Father Custodian 
to distribute the crosses in his name among the 
ladies present. 

In the afternoon the column of the flagella- 
tion was exposed for veneration in the chapel 
of the Apparition of Our Lord, in the church 
of the Holy Sepulcher, and our beloved Father 
Franz blessed our rosaries, crosses, and other ob- 
jects of piety already enriched with many indul- 
gences by contact with the sanctuaries of the 
Holy Land. Thanks to arrangements made by 
this good Father, all who chose might take part 
in the Way of the Cross and at the same time say 
farewell to the holy places. The remainder of 
the afternoon was spent in packing, a task that 



186 DEPARTURE FROM JERUSALEM 



proved to be not only sad, but difficult as well, 
for each had many purchases to bestow in addi- 
tion to the property brought with us and sup- 
posed to be sufficient to fill all available place. 
However, it was accomplished, as most difficult 
tasks may be under pressure of necessity. At 
5 P. M. our baggage was in order for removal, 
and very soon we had said our last good night 
in Jerusalem. 

SDeparture from 3|tru*aUm — Jmxnty to 
ifiaffa — (Embarking 

Sept. 16th. — We had to rise early and breakfast 
at half-past four, in order to assist at holy Mass 
in the church of the Holy Sepulcher, and be ready 
for our journey. The Holy Sacrifice was offered 
at the altar over the Tomb of Our Lord, and at 
its conclusion the Father Director blessed the 
banner of the pilgrimage, delivered a short dis- 
course, and read the Itinerary. Then we left 
the church — with sad hearts — for few among us 
could console themselves with the hope of re- 
visiting the Holy Land. I was sad at having to 
say farewell, but also felt an interior hope almost 



DEPARTURE FROM JERUSALEM 187 

amounting to conviction, that for me it would not 
be for the last time. I can give no reason for 
this; the hope or conviction may have been en- 
tirely groundless, but — Well, I leave it to God. 
We left the holy city as we had entered it, reciting 
the Rosary aloud as we passed in procession 
through the narrow streets, out by the Jaffa gate, 
and on to the railway station. Once more the 
beggars and street merchants united their voices 
at every corner in vociferous efforts to extort our 
last penny. Once more we looked back at the 
holy city as it lay behind us flooded with the 
morning sunlight, and tried to impress upon our 
memories a picture that should remain there for- 
ever. Two special trains were awaiting us; our 
baggage had been already put on, and now 
nothing remained but to return a thousand thanks 
for all his kindness and devoted attention to dear 
Father Franz, our faithful companion and pro- 
tector during our stay in the holy city, who had 
now accompanied us to the railway station for a 
last farewell. The Rev. Pastor of the parish of 
Jerusalem, the Rev. Director of the Austrian hos- 
pice, the Austrian Consul, and other gentlemen 



188 DEPARTURE FROM JERUSALEM 

travelled with the pilgrims to Jaffa. The journey 
was accomplished without any particular excite- 
ment, and took only three hours, as we were 
descending the valley, whereas in coming the 
road had been uphill. On arrving at Jaffa we 
went straight through to the sea without making 
a stay anywhere. There our gallant " Tyrolia," 
her masts and rigging gaily adorned with little 
flags, was awaiting us. She had gone round to 
Beirut during our stay at Jerusalem, as there is 
no harbor into which large vessels can enter at 
Jaffa. We were told now that we had run great 
risk of losing our ship altogether, for while she 
was anchored off the coast, a revolution took 
place at Beirut, and the Austrian Consul had 
thoughts of securing the safety of himself and 
such of his compatriots as were in the unquiet 
city at the time by sailing off in the " Tyrolia. " I 
cannot say in how far the report was true, but am 
glad that he did not run off with our ship. After 
a lively trip across the bay, and being handed up 
to our vessel like packages, we amused ourselves 
by watching the Arabs guiding their boats among 
the dangerous rocks and the last vigorous efforts 



DEPARTURE FROM JERUSALEM 189 



of the natives to extort baksheesh. Our baggage 
was brought across in large boats and tied up in 
sacks. These were torn open and emptied, and 
then their contents brought on board by Arabs 
as lithe and active as so many monkeys. Many 
a pilgrim's heart was sore at witnessing the 
merciless handling of bags and portmanteaus. 
At last the whistle sounded, the guns were fired, 
and our kind friends took leave. We watched 
them rocking over the waves toward Jaffa, and 
cheered in answer to the cheers they sent back 
to us. Next our machinery began to work, the 
vessel turned in a majestic curve, and very soon 
we were moving away from the rapidly receding 
shores of the Holy Land. After dinner nothing 
was to be seen below, around, and above us but 
sea and sky. We had time to think over all we 
had seen, and to exchange ideas on the subject 
of our late experiences with our pilgrim compan- 
ions. I realized with a grateful Deo Gratias 
that the heat of our cabin was less intolerable 
than during the outward voyage. Nevertheless 
I spent the greater part of the day on the cap- 
tain's bridge, glad to let the wind shake out 



190 DEPARTURE FROM JERUSALEM 



and blow away the dust and dirt of Palestine. 

Sept. 17th. — Although the sea was a little 
rougher on our return journey than during the 
voyage out. fewer of the pilgrims were victims 
to sickness, probably because they were better 
accustomed to the motion of the vessel. There 
was nothing to be seen the whole day, but this 
was rather an advantage than otherwise, since 
we had, in consequence, leisure for studying our 
maps, and even time tables, for some of the pil- 
grims were suffering from home sickness, others 
from railway fever. This last in no wise affected 
me, as a journey by rail has fewer attractions 
for me than a voyage by sea. On board a ship 
one feels so free, is not packed in tightly, and 
may experience the benefit of the fresh air treat- 
ment in its highest perfection. 

Sept 18th. — As contrary winds continued to 
impede the progress of the ship, it became neces- 
sary to make the shortest route in order to make 
up, if possible, for lost time. We steered to the 
south of Crete, and toward mid-day passed 
Cape Litino, running out into the sea in the 
middle of that long island. We then passed 



DEPARTURE FROM JERUSALEM 191 



between the islands of Gozzo and Gozzo Pulo 
and Crete, approaching nearest to the last. It 
is hilly on this southern side and the chalk cliffs 
glittered in the sun like mountains of snow. 
While passing the southeastern point of the island 
toward evening we could see the town of Selino 
upon the shore, and, in the far distance, the 
islands of Cerigotto and Cerigo. Later still we 
were greeted by the friendly rays of a lighthouse 
on Cape Matapan in Greece. 

Sept. 19th. — Early in the morning we approach- 
ed the island of Zante, of which we had been able 
to see but little on our outward journey, as we 
passed it in the dark. Now we came quite close. 
Behind the island is an extensive mountain 
range, which slopes down toward a plain on 
the east. We saw some villages on a hill 
which are connected with Zante, the chief town 
on the island, by well-kept roads through the 
mountain passes. The town is built upon the 
shore, and is crowned by a citadel. It possesses 
a fine harbor, a beautiful palace, and clean houses, 
which glittered in the morning sun. Behind the 
town rose wooded slopes, and bare mountains 



192 DEPARTURE FROM JERUSALEM 



with deep ravines here and there. Owing to the 
distance we could not observe details, but were 
quite satisfied with the view we enjoyed. There 
is a shallow marked by buoys off the island, and 
we found the passage very interesting and exciting. 
At the same time another large island came into 
sight, which we had passed before in the evening, 
Cephalonia. This island is intersected by high 
mountains, which rise in steep ascent from the 
sea, leaving only a narrow strip of land at their 
base. Small villages were visible on the moun- 
tains, among others Samos, on a gently rising 
hill. From this village shot up two slender towers, 
one of which seemed to be a lighthouse. To our 
right lay Ithaca, which gave token of a little 
more life than when we had seen it a fortnight 
ago. On the shore of a small gulf at the south- 
west of the island we could discern a high building, 
whence a steep street led to the summit of a moun- 
tain. A white sail was moving in a stately fashion 
toward the gulf, and a little boat rowed by two 
men passed quite close to our vessel. The boat- 
men laid down their oars and waved handkerchiefs 
in friendly fashion in return for our greeting. 



DEPARTURE FROM JERUSALEM 193 



Later on came a pretty mountain village, whose 
white houses looked out upon plantations of olive 
trees. We had a good view of the Bay of Vasiliki 
running up into Santa Maura, and saw the 
Leucadian Rock with its lighthouse and church, 
but from a greater distance than when we passed 
it before. As the darkness was gathering we 
could not see Corfu and the pretty town we visited, 
but could just distinguish a range of mountains 
on the island. We were three hours in steaming 
past this one island. We also saw Paxos and 
Antipaxos. After passing Salmastraki and Fano 
we reached in the evening the dreaded Strait 
of Otranto, which separates Italy from Albania 
and connects the Ionian Sea with the Adriatic. 

Sept. 20th. — A strong gale blew as we steamed 
at midnight up the Strait of Otranto, causing our 
good ship to roll and rock, awakening sleepers 
into new slumbers. It was a day of national 
prayer, and we pilgrims observed it in our wave- 
tossed church with the same intentions, and I 
believe with as much pomp, as did the dear ones 
at home. His Lordship sang Pontifical High 
Mass, and the Rev. Father Director preached. 



194 DEPARTURE FROM JERUSALEM 



The mixed choir did their part, and at the close 
of the service the solemn and familiar tones of the 
Swiss hymn floated out over the waters. Mean- 
while the "Tyrolia," decked with her Swiss flag, 
the most becoming ornament she could have 
worn that day, slipped by the islands Meleda, 
Lagosta, Curzola and Cazza, very thinly inhab- 
ited, if indeed they have any population at all. 
They are little more than mountainous slopes and 
points, whose wide bases have their foundations 
in the sea. Now we steered toward the island 
of Lissa, with its little town of the same name, 
and from off its coast signalled by means of flags 
that they were to wire from the island to Trieste 
that the " Tyrolia' ' would get in by eight on the 
following morning. After this the sea became 
rougher. We saw steamers and sailing-vessels, 
and the Austrian vessel "Achille" came quite 
near and was saluted by our guns. We heard 
the greetings of her passengers, but were unable 
to respond, as Pontifical Vespers, of which, doubt- 
less, they were in ignorance on board the 
"Achille," were going on at the time. The 
varied panorama around us kept our field glasses 



HOMEWARD JOURNEY 



195 



in constant requisition when we were not engaged 
at our prayers. In the evening the gentlemen 
of the choir sang the beautiful songs of the father- 
land, and the celebrations of the day were worthily 
terminated by a modest display of fireworks. 
Our voyage both going and returning had been 
very pleasant, but there was not one among us 
but rejoiced heartily that this was to be our last 
night on board the " Tyrolia.' ' 

arribai at f&timz.— i^ometoarD 3|oume^ 

Sept. 21st. — During the night we passed the 
multiform island world that lies before Dalmatia ; 
and the Peninsula of Istria with its harbor and 
the towns Pola, Rovigno, and Parenzo, arriving 
early in the morning off Trieste. At six the 
" Tyrolia" wound her way slowly among the 
many steamers and sailing-vessels anchored in 
the harbor, to the pier of St. Carlo, but when the 
gangway was actually laid, and we were on the 
point of landing, we were detained. Our patience 
was put to the trial for two hours, and really 
that trial was a hard one. After an imprison- 
ment of five days on board ship one longs to set 



196 HOMEWARD JOURNEY 



foot on land, especially when it lies so temptingly 
before one's eyes. But there was no help for it. 
A little boat brought out three doctors to examine 
into the sanitary condition of passengers and 
crew on board the "Tyrolia," and woe to us all 
had they discovered any symptoms of fever or 
plague among us. Quarantine would have been 
our doom. God be praised, all went well and 
the gangway was laid again. It was about 
10 A. M. and a great crowd had assembled on 
the pier to watch us disembark. An order per- 
mitting us to pass the Customs had been sent 
from Vienna, so we suffered no delay on that 
account. How delightful it was to set foot 
again on European soil after an absence of three 
weeks! Papa and I took advantage of the few 
hours' stay to drive through Trieste and see the 
sights. The city, even in the time of the Romans, 
had attained considerable importance as a sea- 
port town. It is now the principal port belong- 
ing to Austria, and has a population of 100,000. 
Its trade has prospered greatly, so that it may be 
correctly termed an American town on the Adri- 
atic. The Grand Canal, which is crowded with 



HOMEWARD JOURNEY 197 



vessels, runs through the city, and close to it 
stands the church of St. Antonia Nuova, built 
by Nobile in 1830. Beyond this lies the new 
town, well laid out. Its fine streets are crossed 
by the Grand Canal. We visited the Giusto, 
a large basilica with five aisles. From this 
church we drove to the barracks. The scene 
outspread before us was indeed beautiful. At 
our feet lay, in all its majesty, the azure sea; to 
the right and left rose green hills dotted with 
villas and gardens; and in the midst — Trieste. 
We could see over the whole extent of the town. 
How much pleasure our good God has prepared 
for the lovers of nature! Pleasure grander, 
deeper, purer, more elevating than all other joys! 
It was a matter of regret that the time at our 
disposal did not allow of a visit to the castle of 
Miramar. We were obliged to return to the rail- 
way station, which we reached just in time to 
enter our numbered carriages by 2. P. M. Here 
we were greeted with the anything but joyful intel- 
ligence that cloud-bursts had flooded Karawan- 
ken and the Tyrol, and that dams and bridges 
had been swept away by the flood. We had 



198 HOMEWARD JOURNEY 



visions of leaving the train in the darkness, and 
paddling miserably through torrents of water 
and mud to the next point in our destination. 
Nevertheless, as we left the station we enjoyed 
the view of the town in its setting of green vine- 
yards and gardens, from whose depths of verdure 
white villas peeped out here and there. We 
could see the castle of Miramar with the blue 
sea beyond sparkling in the radiance of the 
southern sunlight, and watched that sea with ad- 
miring eyes until a curve in the road shut it from 
sight. Very soon we entered the Karst, a wild, 
rugged, mountainous district, and passed through 
Krain, where the streams are soon lost to view in 
the many subterranean caverns and grottoes 
that abound in this region. Towns and villages 
flashed by or looked down upon us from the 
neighboring mountains as we sped upon our 
way. How good it was to see once more the 
fresh green of meadow and woodland after the 
dead blue-gray of the olives in Palestine ! 

Punctually at eighteen minutes after five we 
arrived at Laibach, the principal town of Krain, 
according to the promise made by the time table. 



HOMEWARD JOURNEY 



199 



Here supper was served at once in the pleasant 
gardens, and like people in convents who have 
to get up for Matins we retired immediately after- 
wards, for we, too, had to rise in the night, al- 
though what awaited us was not Matins. Gather- 
ing black clouds threatened rain as we left Laibach. 
The train rushed by station after station, and 
as we could see nothing of the country, for it 
was quite dark, all that remained was, for those 
who could, to sleep; and for those who found 
slumber impossible, to think. Xow, however, 
we learned the true state of affairs without. A 
great cloud-burst had so swollen the rivers of 
Karawanken and the Tyrol, especially the Drave, 
that the railway dam on our line near Xikolsdorf 
had been partially swept away, and at Xikolsdorf 
we should have to change trains at two o'clock 
in the morning — not a very pleasant prospect on 
the whole. We awoke to life at Villach, where 
we halted for twenty minutes and were glad to 
leave the train for that time. We made a few 
purchases, walked up and down the platform, 
regained our places and lapsed into quiet again. 
Sept. 22d. — At a quarter before one A. M. the 



200 



HOMEWARD JOURNEY 



conductor walked quietly through the carriages 
and announced to sleepers and watchers alike 
that it was time to prepare to leave the train. 
The dreaded hour had arrived. Portmanteaus 
and packages, whose weight had increased con- 
siderably during the past fortnight, were laid 
ready to hand as soon as the train stopped. We 
alighted and, preceded by porters bearing lighted 
torches, began our nocturnal promenade. Happily, 
my dear, wise father had with prudent forethought 
engaged a man to carry our baggage. I could 
hardly lift my portmanteau from the ground, 
and my father's was as heavy. First we walked 
along the rails, and then crossed a temporary 
wooden bridge nearly four hundred and fifty 
yards long. We could see nothing, and heard 
only the rushing of the stream. We walked on 
in Indian file for perhaps ten minutes, and at 
last saw the lighted windows of the train, which 
we entered breathing great sighs of relief. All 
had gone well after all. We were even dryshod, 
having had to pass through neither water nor 
mud. Deo Gratias! It is true that the train was 
not particularly comfortable, and we were rather 



HOMEWARD JOURNEY 201 



crowded; but the aspect of affairs improved when 
day dawned and order was restored. Matters 
would have been much worse had we arrived here 
forty-eight hours earlier, for the line had been 
blocked for some days, and we must have travelled 
by a very roundabout route to Innsbruck. So 
we were grateful to God and bore our little dis- 
comforts willingly. We were all settled, and the 
train had started in less than an hour. Of the 
station at Lienz, where we had been greeted so 
pleasantly with music a fortnight ago, we could 
see nothing but a few lamps. The train puffed 
and snorted and crawled until it reached the top 
of the Puster Valley; then it quickened its pace 
for the descent and reached Franzensfeste at 5 
A.M. Here some Tyrolese pilgrims left us. Over 
the Brenner we went slowly again, but put on a 
better pace as we went toward Innsbruck. This 
part of the journey was very interesting, as we 
passed through a country varied with smiling 
valleys, clean villages, and heights whose summits 
seemed to touch the sky, all brightened by the 
morning sunshine. At Innsbruck we stayed 
twenty minutes for breakfast, and then started 



202 



HOMEWARD JOURNEY 



at furious speed for the Arlberg. Former pilgrims 
to Jerusalem awaited us at the various stations 
with kindly greetings, and in all the fields and 
valleys our train was recognized and w T e received 
a hearty welcome as w r e passed. On the Arlberg, 
and on reaching Feldkirch, crowds of people were 
awaiting us and greeted our arrival with loud 
cheers. The greater number of the pilgrims 
remained in the same train, only changing at 
Buchs, whence a special train would carry them 
on to Zurich. It was a disappointment that w T e 
were unable to say farewell to our fellow-pilgrims, 
but it was impossible to do so. We could not even 
take leave of Colonel von Himmel, to whom, 
under God, we were indebted for the successful 
carrying out and happy termination of the first 
Sw T iss pilgrimage to the Holy Land. But all was 
hurry and rush. We had time only to see to our 
baggage, obtain tickets for Bregenz, and take 
our seats in the train for Riedenburg. Our visit 
to Riedenburg was unfortunately a short one, but 
the few hours spent there will remain always 
impressed on my memory. 



ARRIVAL AT EINSIEDELN 



203 



ambai at dftitsfoaeln— (H;ntJ 

Sept %3d. — Once more, all of us, young and 
old, the beloved dwellers of the Einsiedlerhof, 
and we two pilgrims from Jerusalem, were 
gathered in the railway station after a separation 
of twenty-three days. But if during that period 
a thousand miles of sea and land had prevented 
intercourse by sight and speech, in heart and 
spirit we had been always united by the bonds 
of affection and prayer. Now, thanks to the 
faithful protection of our good God, we were 
together again, well and happy. 

What have I gained during those three weeks ? 

Many graces, deep and holy impressions, and 
an enthusiastic love for the Holy Land. I may 
consider it a great and special privilege that, 
thanks to the goodness of God and my dear 
parents, I was permitted to make the pilgrimage 
so early, at a time of my life when impressions 
are readily received, and easily imprinted on the 
heart and memory. 

To all who may read this description I wish 



204 ARRIVAL AT EINSIEDELN 



a participation in the benefits and happiness I 
have enjoyed; and to all I cry out as I bid them 
farewell, Do you, too, go "off to Jerusalem!" 



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3 



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8 



JUVENILES. 

Adventures of a Casket. o 45 

Adventures of a French Captain, o 45 

An Adventure with the Apaches. Gabriel Ferry. o 45 
Anthony. A Tale of the Time of Charles II. of England. o 45 

Armorer of Solingen. William Herchenbach. o 40 

As True as Gold. Mary E. Mannix. o 45 

Berkleys, The. Emma Howard Wight. o 45 

Bertha; or, Consequences of a Fault. o 45 

Better Part. o 45 

Bistouri. A. Melandri. o 45 

Black Lady, and Robin Red Breast. Canon Schmid. o 25 

Blanche de Marsilly. o 45 

Blissylvania Post-Office. Marion Ames Taggart. o 45 

Bob o' Link. Mary T. Waggaman. o 45 

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Buzzer's Christmas. Mary T. Waggaman. o 25 

By Branscome River. Marion Ames Taggart. o 45 

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Fatal Diamonds. E. C. Donnelly. o 25 
Finn, Rev. F. J., S.J.: 

His First and Last Appearance. Illustrated. 1 00 

That Football Game. o 85 

The Best Foot Forward. o 85 

Ethelred Preston. o 85 

Claude Lightfoot. o 85 

Harry Dee. o 85 

Tom Playfair. o 8s 

Percy Wynn. o 85 

Mostly Boys. o 85 

Fisherman's Daughter. o 45 

Five O' Clock Stories; or, The Old Tales Told Again. 075 
Flower of the Flock, The, and the Badgers of Belmont. Maurice 

F. Egan. o 85 

Fred's Little Daughter. Sara Trainer Smith. o 45 



9 



Gertrude's Experience. o 45 

Godfrey the Hermit. Canon Schmid. o 25 

Golden Lily, The. Katharine T. Hinkson. o 45 

Great Captain, The. By Katharine T. Hinkson. o 45 

Great-Grandmother's Secret. o 45 

Haldeman Children, The. By Mary E. Mannix. o 45 

Harry Dee; or, Working It Out. By Father Finn. o 85 
Harry Russell. A Rockland College Boy. By Rev. J. E. 

Copus, S.J. [Cuthbert]. o 85 

Heir of Dreams, An. Sallie Margaret O'Malley. o 45 

Her Father's Right Hand. o 45 

His First and Last Appearance. By Father Finn. 1 00 

Hop Blossoms. Canon Schmid. o 25 

Hostage of War, A. Mary G. Bonesteel. o 45 

How They Worked Their Way. Maurice F. Egan. o 75 

Inundation, The. Canon Schmid. o 40 

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Jack O' Lantern. Mary T. Waggaman. o 45 
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Klondike Picnic. Eleanor C. Donnelly. o 85 

Lamp of the Sanctuary. Cardinal Wiseman. o 25 
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Loyal Blue and Royal Scarlet. Marion A. Taggart. o 85 

Madcap Set at St. Anne's. Marion J. Brunowe. o 45 

Marcelle. A True Story. 045 

Mary Tracy's Fortune. Anna T. Sadlier. o 45 

Master Fridolin. Emmy Giehrl. o 25 

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Pickle and Pepper. Ella Loraine Dorsey. o 85 



Playwater Plot, The. By Mary T. Waggaman. o 60 

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The Race for Copper Island. Rev. H. S. Spalding, S.J. o 85 

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Richard; or, Devotion to the Stuarts. o 45 

Rose Bush. Canon Schmid. o 25 

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II 



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Miss Erin. A Novel. M. E. Francis. 1 25 

Monk's Pardon, The. Raoul de Navery. 1 25 

Mr. Billy Buttons. A Novel. Walter Lecky. 1 25 

Outlaw of Camargue, The. A Novel. A. de Lamothe. 1 25 
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Pere Monnier's Ward. A Novel. Walter Lecky. 1 25 

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That Man's Daughter. By Henry M. Ross. 1 25 

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Way that Led Beyond, The. By J. Harrison. 1 25 

Woman of Fortune, A. Christian Reid. 1 25 

World Well Lost. Esther Robertson. o 75 

LIVES AND HISTORIES. 

Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola. Edited by Rev. J. F. X., 
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Letters of St. Alphonsus Liguori. Rev. Eugene Grimm, C.SS.R. 

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Life and Life-Work of Mother Theodore Guerin, Foundress 
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12 



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1.3 



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14 



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